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TRUE    STORIES 


MODERN   HISTORY. 


FH03 


6.  ?. 


TRUE    STORIES, 


MODERN    HISTORY: 


CHRONOLOGICALLY    ARRANGED, 

FROM    THE    DEATH    OF    CHARLEMAGNE    TO 
THE    BATTLE    OF    WATERLOO. 


BY  THE  AUTHOR  OF  TRUE  STORIpP   '"OM  ANCIENT  HISTORY,  ALWAYS 
HAPPY,  ETC. 


"  The  study  of  History  may  contribute  to  our  improvement  in  self-know- 
edge."— Mrs.  H.  More. 


Ztebfsetf  antt  amcnticK. 


Jfa  '^nrk  raft  fetnn  : 

C.    S.    FRANCIS   AND    COMPANY. 
1854. 


CHRONOLOGICAL   INDEX. 


».    D.  PAGE 

828  Egbert,  King  of  England 9 

840  Germany  severed  from  France 12 

870  Iceland  peopled  from  Norway 22 

871  Alfred  the  Great 17 

886  Oxford  University  founded 20 

912  The  Normans  settle  in  Neustria 24 

915  Cambridge  University  founded 26 

956  Hugh  Capet,  King  of  France 31 

1066  William  the  Norman,  King  of  England 38 

1070  Feudal  law  introduced  into  England 39 

1080  Roderigo  the  Cid  flourished 43 

1087  William  Rufus,  King  of  England 46 

1095  The  first  Crusade 9 

1 100  Henry  I.  Beauclerc,  King  of  England 51 

1135  Stephen,  King  of  England 57 

1138  Guelphs  and  Ghibellines 61 

1 139  Alphonso,  first  King  of  Portugal 61 

1147  Second  Crusade 63 

1 1 54  Henry  II.  Plantagenet,  King  of  England 68 

1171  Thomas  a  Becket  assassinated 71 

1 172  Ireland  conquered  by  Henry  II 71 

1189  Richard  I.  Cceur  de  Lion,  King  of  England 77 

1199  John  (Lackland),  King  of  England 84 

1202  Constantinople  taken  by  the  French 84 

1204  Inquisition  established 92 

1214  Battle  of  Bouvines 88 

1215  Magna  Charta 91 

1216  Henry  III.  King  of  England 97 

1226  St.  Louis,  King  of  France 105 

1227  Zingis  Khan,  the  Tarter  Chief 103 

1261  The  first  Parliament  in  England 97 


VI  CHRONOLOGICAL    INDEX. 

A.   D.  PAGE 

1272    Edward  I.  (Longshanks),  King  of  England 113 

1282  Sicilian  Vespers 118 

1283  Wales  conquered  by  Edward  1 114 

L285    Philip  IV.  King  of  France 128 

1290    William  Wallace,  the  Scottish  Hero 116 

1299    Ottoman  Empire  established 120 

1307    Swiss  Republics  established 121 

1307    Edward  II.  King  of  England 125 

1309    The  Papal  Seat  removed  to  Avignon 127 

1312    Knights  Templars  abolished 128 

1327    Edward  III.  King  of  England 133 

1330    Gunpowder  invented 152 

1333    Casimir  III.  the  Great,  King  of  Poland 160 

1341     Jane,  Duchess  of  Brittany 136 

1341    Jane,  Countess  of  Montfort 137 

1344    The  Widow  Clisson 141 

1346  Battle  of  Crecy 134 

1347  Surrender  of  Calais 135 

1356    Battle  of  Poitiers 142 

1360  Janizaries,  or  Zingi  Cheri,  instituted  about  this 

time 120 

1364  Charles  V.  the  Wise,  King  of  France 154 

1377  Richard  II.  King  of  England 162 

1380  Tamerlane,  or  Timour  Beg,  the  Tartar  Chief. .  166 

1380  Charles  VI.  King  of  France 174 

1387  Margaret,  the  Semiramis  of  the  North 169 

1399  Henry  IV.  King  of  England 170 

1413  Henry  V.  King  of  England 174 

1415  Battle  of  Azincourt 178 

1417  Paper  first  made  from  rags 181 

1422  Henry  VI.  King  of  England 185 

1428  Joan  of  Arc,  the  Maid  of  Orleans 186 

1440  Invention  of  Printing 183 

1453  Constantinople  taken  by  the  Turks 197 

1461  Edward  IV.  King  of  England 199 

1461  Louis  XI.  King  of  France, 207 

1479  Ivan  frees  Russia  from  the  Tartars 203 

1483  Edward  V.  King  of  England, 206 

1483  Richard  III.  King  of  England 211 

1485  Henry  VII.  King  of  England 214 

1492  The  Moors  driven  out  of  Spain 224 

1 492  Columbus  discovers  America 225 

1494  Entry  of  Charles  VIII.  of  France,  into  Florence  218 

1497  First  Passage  to  the  East  Indies  by  the  Cape  of 

Good  Hope 229,  349 


CHRONOLOGICAL    INDEX.  VU 

A.    D.  PAGE 

1498  Louis  XH.  King  of  France 229 

1509  Henry  VIII.  King  of  England 234 

1515  Francis  I.  King  of  France 239,250 

1517  The  Reformation  begun  by  Martin  Luther 234 

1519  Charles  V.  Emperor 250 

1523  Gustavus  Vasa,  King  of  Sweden 244 

1524  Death  of  the  Chevalier  Bayard . . . . , 241 

1525  Battle  of  Pavia 251 

1527  Pizarro  invades  Peru 228 

1534  The  Reformation  in  England 236 

1535  The  Society  of  Jesuits  formed 247 

1547  Edward  VI.  King  of  England 255 

1647  Gabriel,  Count  de  Montgomery 258 

1653  Mary  I.  Q.  of  England : — Lady  Jane  Grey  be- 
headed   263 

1 558  Calais  recovered  by  the  French 265 

1558  Elizabeth,  Queen  of  England 266 

1572  Massacre  of  St.  Bartholomew 270 

1578  Battle  of  Alcazar :— Don  Sebastian  killed 281 

1579  The  Republic  of  Holland  begins 267 

1581  The  Admirable  Crichton  assassinated 283 

1585  Shah  Abbas,  the  Great,  Sovereign  of  Persia ...  281 

1587  Mary  Queen  of  Scots  beheaded 268 

1588  Destruction  of  the  Spanish  Armada 268 

1589  Henry  IV.  the  Great,  King  of  France 289 

1600  English  East  India  Company  incorporated ....  269 

1603  James  I.  King  of  Great  Britain 284 

1605  Gunpowder  Plot  discovered 285 

1611  Order  of  Knights  Baronets  instituted 286 

1623  Cruelties  of  the  Dutch  at  Amboyna 350 

1625  Charles  I.  King  of  Great  Britain 295 

1632  Henry  Duke  de  Montmorenci  beheaded 308 

1640  Revolution  of  Portugal 300 

1641  Earl  of  Strafford  beheaded 297 

1643  Louis  XIV.  King  of  France 312 

1644  Revolution  in  China 342 

1649  Charles  I.  beheaded:— England  a  republic.     298,303 

1653  Oliver  Cromwell,  Lord  Protector  of  England..  304 

1660  Charles  II.  King  of  England,  restored 320 

1660  Aurengzebe,  the  Mogul  Emperor 341 

1661  The  Man  with  the  Iron  Mask 315 

1682  Peter  I.  the  Great,  Czar  of  Russia 326 

1683  Lord  William  Russell  beheaded 322 

1685  James  II.  King  of  Great  Britain 329 

1688  Revolution  in  Great  Britain 332 


HI!  CHRONOLOGICAL    INDEX. 

A.   T).  PAGE 

1689  William  and  Mary  joint  Sovereigns  of  Great 

Britain 337 

1697  Charles  XII.  King  of  Sweden 332 

1700  Philip  V.  King  of  Spain 340 

1702  Anne,  Queen  of  Great  Britain 343 

1703  Gibraltar  taken  by  Sir  G.  Rooke 345 

1709  The  Battle  of  Pultowa 334 

1714  George  I.  King  of  Great  Britain 352 

1715  Louis  XV.  King  of  France 356 

1720  South-Sea  Bubble  in  England 355 

1720  Mississippi  Scheme  in  France 357 

1725  Death  of  Peter  the  Great,  of  Russia 329 

1727  George  II.  King  of  Great  Britain 360 

1740  Frederick  the  Great,  King  of  Prussia 368 

1744  Anson  sails  round  the  World 363 

1746  Victory  of  Culloden 361 

f752  New  Style  introduced  into  Great  Britain 362 

755  Lisbon  destroyed  by  an  Earthquake 364 

1759  General  Wolfe  takes  Quebec 364 

1760  George  III.  King  of  Great  Britain 374 

1762  Catherine  II.  Empress  of  Russia 372 

1772  Poland  dismembered <•'. 372 

1774  Louis  XVI.  King  of  France 378 

1783  America  independent 375 

1789  Revolution  in  France 379 

1804  Napoleon  Buonaparte,  Emperor  of  the  French.  391 

1806  Slave  Trade  abolished  in  Great  Britain 377 

1815  Battle  of  Waterloo,  June  18 * 391 


TRUE   STORIES 

FROM 

MODERN   HISTORY 


CHAPTER  I. 

EGBERT,    FIRST    KING    OF    ENGLAND. 

I  HAVE  already  told  you,*  that  the  Saxons,  a 
people  from  Germany,  had  conquered  England, 
and  divided  it  into  seven  kingdoms,  each  ruled 
by  its  own  prince  ;  and  that  this  was  called  the 
Saxon  Heptarchy,  or  sevenfold  government. 

Egbert,  one  of  these  princes,  having  become 
sovereign  of  more  than  one  of  these  kingdoms, 
by  the  right  of  succession,  resolved  to  make 
himself  master  of  the  rest.  He  therefore  raised 
an  army ;  and  soon  conquering  all  the  other 
princes,  he  succeeded  in  his  plan,  and  united  all 
the  small  principalities  into  one  great  monarchy. 

*  See  "  True  Stories  from  Ancient  History." 


10  EGBERT. 

X  . 

Thus,  almost  four  hundred  years  after  the  first 
arrival  of  the  Saxons  under  Hengist  and  Horsa, 
Egbert  became  sole  king  of  England. 

Egbert  was  a  brave  and  polite  prince ;  for  he 
had  resided  in  France  during  the  reign  of 
Charlemagne,  and  there  he  had  learned  not  only 
polished  manners,  but  many  useful  arts.  He 
was  crowned  at  Winchester ;  and  the  southern 
part  of  the  island  was  then  first  called  England. 

The  English  had  become  very  wise  and  civilized 
in  comparison  of  the  naked  Britons,  who  so 
bravely  opposed  the  Romans  under  Julius  Cae- 
sar. Good  houses,  neat  furniture,  decent  cloth- 
ing, were  to  be  seen ;  instead  of  mud  hovels, 
wooden  bowls,  platters,  stools,  and  fur  garments. 

The  Christian  religion  was  established,  and 
the  clergy  had  acquired  much  learning.  The 
greater  portion  of  the  people  were,  however,  still 
very  ignorant ;  and  you  will  smile  to  hear  that 
an  eclipse  of  the  sun  was  deemed  an  omen  of 
approaching  calamity.  Even  you  children  now 
know  an  eclipse  of  the  sun  to  be  caused  by  the 
moon  coming  between  the  earth  and  the  sun, 
and  hence  keeping  from  us  the  light  of  that 
luminary. 

Egbert  did  not  long  enjoy  his  dominions  in 
peace ;  for  the  Danes  invaded  his  kingdom. 
The  Danes  were  one  of  those  rude  nations  which 


EGBERT.  11 

swarmed  from  the  north  of  Europe  ?  They  were 
anciently  caHed  Cimbri,  one  of  the  Gothic  tribes, 
and  are  said  to  have  been  governed  by  a  king, 
named  Schiold,  sixty  years  before  Christ.  Rag- 
ner  Lodbrog,  one  of  their  monarchs,  was  killed 
in  England,  which  he  had  invaded  with  a  strong 
army. 

On  some  future  day,  you  will  have  much 
amusement  in  reading  of  Odin,  or  Woden.  He 
lived  in  the  time  of  Pompey  ;  and,  being  driven 
from  the  south,  fled  to  the  north,  where  he  laid 
the  foundation  of  a  city,  on  the  island  of  Funen, 
in  the  Baltic  Sea.  Look  in  the  map  of  that 
place,  and  you  will  see  the  name  of  Odensee. 
This  Odin  was  worshipped  as  a  god  by  the 
Scandinavians,  the  general  name  for  many  of 
the  northern  nations. 

When  Egbert  was  attacked  by  the  Danes, 
Norway,  Sweden  and  Denmark  were  united  un- 
der one  king  ;  but  the  English  monarch,  after 
many  battles,  drove  away  the  invading  barbari- 
ans, and  for  a  short  period  procured  peace  for 
his  country. 

After  the  death  of  Egbert,  the  Danes  again 
attacked  England,  and  kept  the  island  in  con- 
tinued alarm.  Ethelwolf,  the  son  and  successor 
of  Egbert,  tried  in  vain  to  subdue  the  invaders  : 
they  yearly  gained  ground.  His  son  Ethelbald 


12  GERMANY    SKVERED 

was  equally  unfortunate  ;  and  on  the  death  of 
this  last  prince,  A.  D.  871,  England  was  in  a 
most  wretched  state. 


CHAPTER  II. 

GERMANY    SEVERED    FROM    FRANCE. 

CHARLEMAGNE,  you  may  remember,  was  the 
sovereign  of  a  very  extensive  empire  ;  of  France, 
Germany,  and  Italy.  But  great  changes  took 
place  after  his  death.  I  think  you  must  observe 
how  generally  the  dominions  of  great  con- 
querors fall  away  from  their  successors  ;  and 
that  the  only  permanent  advantage  which  great 
men  can  bestow  is  in  instructing  and  improving 
mankind ;  for  virtue  and  wisdom,  once  attained, 
are  not  soon  lost. 

Louis  I.  the  son  of  Charlemagne,  was  of  so 
mild  and  kind  a  disposition,  that  he  obtained 
the  surname  of  Debonnaire,  or  Gentle  ;  yet, 
though  he  possessed  many  and  great  virtues, 
his  reign  proved  very  unfortunate,  in  conse- 
quence of  his  second  marriage  to  Judith  of 
Bavaria,  a  very  haughty  bad  woman.  To  se- 
cure the  crown  for  her  son  Charles,  she  sowed 


FROM    FRANCE.  13 

dissensions  between  Louis  and  his  three  sons 
by  his  former  marriage,  so  that  they  rebelled 
against  him,  and  forced  him  to  take  refuge  in  a 
monastery,  whilst  one  of  them,  named  Lotha- 
rius,  assumed  the  title  of  Emperor.  Some  time 
afterward,  Louis  regained  his  dominions,  and 
forgave  his  sons  ;  but  they  soon  again  rebelled ; 
and  Lotharius  was  so  wicked  and  cruel  as  to 
make  his  father  do  public  penance,  that  is,  con- 
fess himself  in  fault  before  the  people,  clothed 
in  a  mean,  coarse  dress.  Lotharius  now  thought 
his  father  would  be  too  much  despised,  ever  to 
be  able  to  regain  his  throne  ;  for,  in  those  days, 
the  doing  penance  exposed  a  man  to  the  con- 
tempt of  all  the  world.  His  subjects,  however, 
did  not  believe  Louis  to  be  guilty  of  the  crimes 
he  had  been  forced  to  confess ;  and  therefore, 
finding  a  proper  opportunity,  they  took  him  out 
of  the  cell  in  which  his  unnatural  son  had  con- 
fined him,  and  once  more  proclaimed  him  Em- 
peror. With  his  usual  good  nature,  Louis 
pardoned  Lotharius,  and  even  made  him  king 
of  Italy,  but  commanded  him  never  to  leave 
that  country  without  his  permission.  Some 
time  afterward,  the  three  brothers  again  quar- 
relled with  him,  and,  in  marching  against  one 
of  them,  he  was  so  overcome  by  fatigue,  vexa- 
tion, and  a  fright  occasioned  by  a  total  eclipse 


14  GERMANY    SEVERED 

of  the  sun,  that  he  fell  ill,  and  died  at  the  age 
of  sixty-two. 

Those  who  could  wickedly  abuse  a  parent, 
were  not  likely  to  regard  any  of  the  other  ties 
of  life.  The  brothers  quarrelled  among  them- 
selves ;  and,  after  many  contests,  made  a  divi- 
sion of  the  empire  :  Charles  was  declared  King 
of  France,  and  Lotharius  was  established  as 
Emperor  of  Germany. 

This  Charles,  to  whom  I  have  just  alluded, 
was  surnamed  "  the  Bald  ;"  for  in  those  days  it 
was  customary  to  give  even  kings  what  we 
should  call  nicknames,  derived  from  some  per- 
sonal quality,  defect,  or  circumstance.  He  was 
son  of  Louis  the  Debonnaire  and  the  wicked 
Judith  ;  and,  being  as  bad  as  his  mother,  was 
hated  by  all  his  subjects.  He  was  only  seven- 
teen years  of  age  when  he  became  king,  and  is 
to  be  pitied  rather  than  condemned,  on  account 
of  his  youth  and  his  want  of  a  proper  education. 
He  lived  extravagantly,  and  dressed  gaudily 
and  effeminately ;  so  that  everybody  despised 
him.  When  he  grew  up  to  be  a  man.  he  had 
children,  who  proved  as  undutiful  to  him  as  he 
had  been  to  his  father  ;  a  just  retribution  for 
his  former  conduct.  Carloman,  one  of  his  sons, 
rebelled  against  him ;  but  Charles  took  him 


FROM  FRANCE.  15 

prisoner,  had  his  eyes  put  out,  and  confined 
him  for  the  rest  of  his  days. 

After  the  death  of  Lotharius  and  his  son 
Louis  II.  Charles  recovered  the  empire  ;  but  he 
had  held  it  not  quite  two  years,  when  one  of  iiis 
nephews  led  an  army  against  him,  to  wrest  it 
from  him.  Charles  marched  into  Italy,  to  meet 
his  adversary ;  but  being  betrayed  by  his  nobles, 
he  fled,  and  was  poisoned,  it  is  said,  by  his  phy- 
sician, a  Jew,  in  a  miserable  cottage  near  Mount 
Cenis.  He  was  at  first  buried  near  Lyons  ;  but, 
seven  years  afterward,  his  remains  were  re- 
moved to  St.  Denis,  where  he  had  desired  to  be 
interred.  His  son  Louis  succeeded  to  the  throne 
of  France*,  but  the  empire  was  dissevered 
from  it. 

It  was  during  the  reign  of  Charles  the  Bald 
that  the  Normans,  one  of  the  Gothic  tribes  from 
Scandinavia,  first  appeared  in  France,  and,  sail- 
ing up  the  Seine,  burned  a  great  part  of  the 
city  of  Paris  ;  and  Charles,  instead  of  fightingj 
gave  them  large  sums  of  money  to  retire ;  a 
certain  method  of  ensuring  their  return.  They 
then  entered  Germany,  where  they  committed 
extensive  depredations,  and  had  laid  siege  to 
the  city  of  Hamburgh,  when  the  Germans  at- 
tacked them  and  put  them  to  flight. 

The  Pope  of  Rome  was  now  gaining  much 


16  GERMANY   SEVERED 

power  :  he  ruled  not  only  in  religious  affairs, 
but  had  great  territorial  possessions.  I  shall 
make  you  laugh,  when  I  tell  you,  that  about  this 
time  a  woman  named  Joan,  in  male  attire,  ob- 
tained the  papal  dignity.  It  is  said  that  Pope 
Joan  governed  a  couple  of  years  without  her 
sex  being  known ;  but  this  report  is  not  univer- 
sally believed. 

The  Saracens  were  still  in  great  power  ;  and, 
attacking  the  Venetians,  destroyed  their  fleet. 

But  now  that  the  states  of  Europe  are  rising 
into  consequence,  and  each  offering  matter  for  a 
distinct  history,  it  will  be  impossible  for  me  to 
notice  all  the  events  that  occurred  in  every  sep- 
arate kingdom.  What  I  shall  here  relate  must 
be  of  a  general  nature ;  and  I  can  only  record 
remarkable  circumstances  that  have  happened 
throughout  the  world. 

So  you  must  bear  in  mind  that  Italy  under 
the  Popes  (thence  called  the  Papal  dominions), 
France,  Spain,  Germany,  England,  under  their 
respective  sovereigns,  and  the  Eastern  or  Greek 
Empire  (the  last  relic  of  Roman  dignity),  under 
its  Emperor,  are  each  and  all  subsisting,  whilst 
I,  perhaps,  am  confining  my  narrative  to  one 
of  them. 

The  Scots  had  now  a  king  who  deserves  no- 
tice, Kenneth  M'Alpin.  This  warlike  monarch 


FROM    FRANCE.  17 

fought  and  conquered  the  Picts,  a  people  who 
had  long  dwelt  in  the  northern  part  of  the 
island  ;  and,  having  completely  mastered  them, 
joined  their  territories  to  his  own.  Scotland 
was  anciently  called  Caledonia ;  but,  .from  a 
people  named  Scoti,  who  passed  over  from  Ire- 
land in  the  eleventh  •  century,  and  settled  in 
that  country,  it  was  thenceforth  denominated 
Scotland. 


CHAPTER  III. 

ALFRED    THE    GREAT. 

I  HAVE  told  you,  that  England  was  in  a  mis- 
erable condition  at -the  time  of  Ethelbald's  death. 
But  I  can  now  tell  you  how  England  was  res- 
cued from  foreign  foes,  and  the  foundation  of 
her  present  greatness  laid. 

A  younger  brother  of  Ethelbald,  Alfred  the 
Great,  was  this  preserver  and  benefactor. 

Alfred  was  only  twenty-two  years  old  when 
he  became  king  of  England.  The  Danes  were 
then  in  possession  of  much  land  in  the  northern 
part  of  the  island,  and  Alfred  at  first  was  un- 
successful in  his  attempts  against  them. 

But  he  was  too  brave   and  too  wise  to  de- 


18  ALFRED    THE    GREAT. 

Bpair.  He  knew  that  "  perseverance  conquers 
all  things  ;"  and  he  therefore  continued  his  ef- 
forts and  gained  some  advantages.  But  when 
the  Danes  received  fresh  troops  from  their  own 
country,  the  English  were  so  disheartened  that 
many  of  them  deserted  their  valiant  king ;  and, 
as  he  could  not  fight  without  an  army,  he  retired 
from  the  unequal  contest. 

It  was  not  from  the  base  motive  of  saving  his 
life,  that  he  thus  retired  ;  no,  he  retired  to  gain 
time  for  making  farther  preparations ;  he  pre- 
served his  life  for  the  future  service  of  his 
country.  It  is  not  courage,  but  foolhardiness, 
to  attempt  impossibilities. 

Alfred  dismissed  his  friends  and  attendants, 
and,  without  even  a  single  servant,  he  wandered 
about  in  the  dress  of  a  peasant ;  but  still  he 
contrived  to  become  acquainted  with  all  that 
was  going  on,  as  well  among  his  enemies  as 
among  his  friends  ;  and  when  he  supposed  his 
presence  might  be  serviceable  to  the  latter  he 
left  his  retirement. 

The  Earl  of  Devonshire  had  just  conquered 
some  of  the  Danes,  and  slain  Hubba,  one  of  their 
principal  generals.  Before  he  discovered  him- 
self, Alfred  desired  much  to  know  many  particu- 
lars respecting  the  main  army  of  his  foes ;  and 
he  resolved  to  undertake  the  hazardous  task  of 


.       ALFRED   THE    GREAT.  19 

entering  the  Danish  camp,  for  the  purpose  of 
observation. 

For  the  sake  of  his  country  he  had  formerly- 
preserved  his  life ;  for  the  sake  of  his  country- 
he  was  now  willing  to  lose  it.  This  was  true 
courage.  Disguised  as  a  minstrel,  and  with  a 
harp  in  his  hand,  Alfred  went  into  the  midst 
of  his  foes,  where  he  so  well  acquitted  himself, 
that  he  was  carried  before  Gruthrum,  the  Danish 
prince,  and  was  by  him  much  admired.  The 
youthful  harper  made  every  necessary  observa-- 
tion ;  and,  when  he  had  informed  himself  of  the 
force  of  the  enemy,  their  plans  and  arrange- 
ments, he  retired  in  safety,  and  soon  afterward 
summoned  his  people  to  take  up  arms  in  their 
own  defence.  c.;  n 

From  this  time  prosperity  crowned  the  en- 
deavors of  Alfred.  The  few  soldiers  his  friends 
had  collected  were -soon  joined  by  numbers  of* 
the  bravest  English.  The  Danes  were  repulsed, 
and  driven  out  of  the  country  ;  and  though  they 
returned  again,  they  were  again  vanquished. 

Alfred  having  procured  that  first  of  blessings, 
peace,  to  his  beloved  country,  and  having  taken 
measures  to  ensure  a  continuance  of  tranquilli ty, 
next  devoted  himself  to  improve  the  condition 
of  his  subjects.  He  only  loved  arms  when  they 
were  necessary  for  defence.  Unlike  many  other 


20  ALFRED    THE    GREAT. 

men,  also  called  Great,  he  did  not  think  all  glory 
consisted  in  war.  You  have  seen  how  little 
good  came  of  Alexander's  mighty  conquests : 
you  shall  hear  what  were  the  effects  of  Alfred's 
labors. 

That  his  subjects  might  improve  in  knowledge, 
he  not  only  wrote  books  for  their  instruction,  but 
he  also  founded  colleges,  or  public  schools,  at 
Oxford,  and  invited  thither  learned  men  from 
all  parts  of  Europe. 

He  encouraged  the  useful  manufactures,  and 
thus  not  only  increased  the  comforts  and  con- 
veniences of  life  but  aroused  the  industry  of  his 
people.  Idleness  is  fruitful  of  vice  and  misery  ; 
when  Alfred,  therefore,  encouraged  honest  in- 
dustry, he  discouraged  the  miserable  vice  of 
idleness. 

To  ensure  a  better  administration  of  justice, 
•  Alfred  drew  up  a  code  or  book  of  laws,  some  of 
which  were  so  good,  that  they  are  still  acted 
upon. 

He  built  ships  and  provided  soldiers  to  guard 
the  land ;  so  that  when  foes  appeared,  they 
were  quickly  repulsed. 

You  will  ask,  how  did  he  contrive  to  perform 
so  much  ?  I  will  tell  you.  He  regulated  his 
time,  and  was  never  idle.  He  divided  the  day 
into  three  portions.  He  gave  eight  hours  tg 


ALFRED    THE    GREAT.  21 

public  business,  and  the  duties  of  government ; 
eight  hours  he  devoted  to  study  and  devotion, 
reading  and  writing  ;  and  eight  hours  to  sleep, 
meals,  and  recreation.  Of  all  this  excellent 
king's  sage  rules,  this  last  is  most  suited  for 
general  acceptation.  To  be  kings,  generals,  and 
lawgivers,  is  the  lot  of  only  a  few  ;  but  all  can 
in  some  degree  govern  their  time,  and,  by  early 
rising  and  persevering  industry,  render  every 
hour  valuable. 

Alfred,  it  is  said,  was  twelve  years  old  before 
he  began  to  acquire  any  learning.  But  the 
queen,  his  mother,  being  a  sensible  woman, 
gave  him  afterward  so  much  encouragement, 
that  when  he  had  once  begun  to  improve  him- 
self he  rapidly  advanced  in  learning.  He  was 
sent  to  Rome  for  his  education,  and  was  care- 
ful to  take  advantage  of  every  opportunity  of 
instruction. 

He  was  handsome  in  his  person  and  pleasing 
in  his  manners  ;  mild  in  peace,  though  valiant 
in  ^var  ;  severe  in  duty,  but  merciful  in  govern- 
ment. His  subjects  loved  him  as  much  as  his 
enemies  feared  him. 

After  a  busy  life,  unremittingly  employed  for 
the  benefit  of  his  fellow-creatures,  Alfred  died, 
in  the  fifty-second  year  of  his  age,  and  the 
ihirtieth  of  his  reign,  A.  D.  900. 


22  ICELAND    PEOPLED. 

What  think  you  of  him  ?  Did  he,  or  Alex- 
ander of  Macedon,  best  deserve  the  title  of 
Great  ? 

Alfred  first  divided  England  into  counties, 
ti things,  and  hundreds. 

At  this  period,  Wales  was  a  distinct  princi- 
pality, and  had  a  king  of  its  own,  who,  however, 
did  homage  to  his  neighbor  Alfred,  king  of 
England. 

Of  Ireland  little  was  known  at  this  era,  ex- 
cept that,  like  England,  it  was  occasionally  rav- 
aged by  the  Danes,  and  that  the  Norwegians  also 
made  inroads  into  it.  These  latter  once  were 
masters  of  the  cities  of  Dublin,  Waterford,  and 
Limerick,  reckoned  the  finest  in  Ireland. 


CHAPTER    IV. 

ICELAND    PEOPLED    FROM    NORWAY. 

AT  the  death  of  Ragner  Lodbrog,  his  three 
sons  divided  the  kingdoms  of  Norway,  Sweden, 
and  Denmark,  among  them.  About  this  time, 
a  colony  from  Norway,  under  Ingolfr,  emigrated 
to  Iceland,  an  interesting  island,  lying  between 
Greenland  and  Norway.  These  Norwegians 
are  supposed  to  have  been  the  first  inhabitants 


DEATH    OF    CARLOMAN.  22, 

of  this  northern  island ;  they  built  there  the 
town  of  Reykeavik,  and  were  joined  by  some 
families  from  Ireland  and  Scotland. 

Iceland  is  full  of  natural  wonders.  Though 
it  has  a  very  cold  climate,  it  contains  numerous 
springs  of  water,  that  issue  from  the  earth, 
boiling  hot.  It  has  also  many  volcanoes,  the 
most  remarkable  of  which  is  Mount  Hecla. 
This,  like  Vesuvius  (of  which  I  have  already 
spoken),  is  a  high  hill,  from  which  fire  and  hot 
ashes  are  frequently  thrown  out.  Pray  contrive 
to  read  a  full  account  of  the  interesting  island 
of  Iceland. 

About  the  time  that  Alfred  subdued  the, 
Danes,  Carloman  began  to  reign  in  France,  of 
whom  I  have  a  little  anecdote  worth  recording. 
He  was  son  of  Louis  the  Stammerer,  and  grand- 
son of  Charles  the  Bald  ;  and  he  reigned  jointly 
with  his  brother  Louis  III.  They  were  always 
united  and  happy  together ;  but  their  reign 
was  short  and  full  of  trouble.  Carloman  was 
killed  accidentally,  and  at  his  death  showed  a 
generosity  of  character,  which  deserves  to  be 
remembered.  He  was  very  fond  of  hunting  the 
wild  boar,  an  exercise  then  much  in  fashion,  and 
in  which  great  courage  was  often  displayed. 
One  day,  when  he  was  following  that  diversion, 
one  of  his  guards,  aiming  at  the  boar,  had  the 


24  EVENTS    IN    CHlNE.,Jfi    HISTORY. 

misfortune  to  wound  the  king  mortally,  by 
striking  him  instead  of  the  animal.  Carloman, 
aware  that,  although  the  poor  man  had  done  it 
unintentionally,  he  would  be  put  to  a  cruel 
death,  if  it  were  thought  that  he  had  slain  his 
sovereign,  generously  attributed  the  wound  to 
the  boar,  and,  by  so  doing,  saved  the  life  of  his 
guard. 

Not  long  after  the  death  of  Alfred,  the  Nor- 
mans continued  their  depredations  in  France  ; 
and  Hollo,  one  of  their  chiefs,  obliged  the  French 
king,  Charles  the  Simple,  to  give  him  his  daugh- 
ter in  marriage,  with  a  large  tract  of  land,  call- 
ed Neustria.  Hollo  built  there  the  city  of 
Kouen,  and  the  province  was  called  Normandy, 
after  its  conquerors.  I  beg  you  will  remember 
this  early  history  of  the  Normans,  and  how 
they  first  settled  in  France.  You  will  find  that 
their  after-history  is  connected  with  that  of 
England. 

About  the  year  600,  it  is  reported,  some 
Christians  entered  China,  and  were  graciously 
received  by  the  Emperor  Tay-tsong.  You 
know,  I  told  you  he  was  one  of  the  best  sovei 
eigns  that  ever  reigned  in  China.  His  empress 
was  also  good  and  learned,  and  wrote  a  book  on 
the  duties  of  women. 

His  successor  allowed  himself  to  be  governed 


EVENTS    IN    CHINESE    HISTORY.  25 

by  Vooshu,  a  beautiful  but  wicked  woman,  whom 
he  called  the  "  Queen  of  Heaven,"  but  whom 
his  subjects  were  disposed  to  call  by  a  very  dif- 
ferent name. 

She  was  base  and  cruel  beyond  parallel,  and 
caused  the  death  of  the  Empress,  who  had  used 
her  most  kindly.  She  poisoned  one  of  her  own 
sons,  and  banished  another,  on  purpose  that  her 
third  son  might  reign.  She  pursued  this  sys- 
tem of  oppression  and  tyranny  even  after  the 
death  of  the  Emperor,  until  one  of  her  sons,  at 
the  head  of  some  troops,  dispossessed  her  of 
her  usurped  and  abused  power. 

When  she  found  all  resistance  would  be  fruit- 
less, she  patiently  submitted  to  necessity  :  with 
her  own  hands  she  placed  her  conquering  son 
on  the  throne,  and  retired  to  the  private  apart- 
ments of  the  women  ;  for  in  China  women  live 
shut  up  in  their  rooms  and  secluded  gardens, 
and  do  not  appear  in  public.  Vooshu  died  soon 
after  her  retirement. 

During  the  reign  of  Alfred,  another  emperor 
of  China  was  seized  by  his  mutinous  subjects, 
and  confined  in  a  small  and  strong  apartment, 
where  he  was  fed  through  a  hole  in  the  wall. 
He  regained  his  liberty  for  a  short  time,  but 
was  at  last  beheaded,  A.  D.  889. 
c  3 


26  FROM  ALFRED'S  DEATH  TO 


CHAPTER  V. 

FROM    THE     DEATH    OF     ALFRED     TO     THE    REIGN 
OF    HAROLD. 

ALFRED  had  three  sons  and  three  daughters. 
His  eldest  son  dying,  he  was  succeeded  by  Ed- 
ward, his  second  son. 

Edward  was  a  very  valiant  prince ;  and, 
though  not  so  fond  of  study  as  his  father,  he 
encouraged  learning  among  his  subjects,  and 
founded  the  university  of  Cambridge. 

Athelstan  came  to  the  throne  on  the  death 
of  his  father,  Edward.  A  nobleman  raised  a 
conspiracy  against  him ;  but,  when  charged 
with  the  crime,  he  stoutly  denied  it,  and  offered 
to  take  an  oath  that  he  was  innocent ;  accord- 
ingly, he  solemnly  swore  that  he  was  guiltless 
of  any  plot  against  the  king.  But  it  is  record- 
ed that  he  had  scarcely  taken  this  false  oath 
when  he  was  seized  with  convulsions,  and  died 
within  three  days  ;  an  awful  instance  of  the 
power  of  conscience  ! 

During  the  reign  of  Athelstan,  Wales  was 
benefited  by  the  services  of  its  celebrated  king 
and  lawgiver,  Howel-Dha. 

When  Athelstan  died,  his  younger  brother, 


THE    REIGN    OF    HAROLD.  27 

Edmund  L,  wore  the  crown  of  England.  He 
gave  the  county  of  Cumberland  to  Malcolm, 
king  of  Scotland,  and  promised  to  be  worthy 
of  his  grandfather,  Alfred  ;  but  he  was  prema- 
turely murdered. 

One  day,  when  sitting  down  to  dinner,  he 
observed  that  Leolf,  a  notorious  robber,  whom 
he  had  banished  for  his  crimes,  had  the  bold- 
ness to  place  himself  at  the  same  table.  Ed- 
mund, provoked  at  this  insolence,  unwisely  gave 
way  to  his  passion,  and  seized  him  by  the  hair ; 
but  the  ruffian  instantly  plunged  a  dagger  into 
the  king's  bosom.  Thus  died  Edmund,  a  victim 
to  indulged  anger.  He  might  have  calmly  or- 
dered his  attendants  to  seize  the  traitor  ;  but 
it  was  beneath  his  dignity — it  is  beneath  any 
person's  dignity — to  yield  to  rage. 

Edred,  another  grandson  of  Alfred,  succeeded 
his  brother.  Edred  allowed  himself  to  be  too 
much  ruled  by  Dunstan,  abbot  of  Glastonbury ; 
but  he  died  before  England  had  greatly  suffered 
from  his  weak  superstition. 

Edwy,  his  nephew,  was  the  next  king;  he 
married  a  lovely  young  woman,  called  Elgiva. 
The  day  on  which  he  was  crowned,  instead  of 
remaining  to  drink  and  carouse  with  his  cour- 
tiers, he  went  to  spend  a  quiet  hour  with  his 
wife  and  her  mother.  The  audacious  Dunstan, 


28  FROM  ALFRED'S  DEATH  TO 

not  approving  of  the  marriage,  entered  the 
apartment,  and  forcibly  drew  the  king  out  of  it. 
The  courtiers  afterward  persuaded  Edwy  to 
banish  the  abbot. 

But  this  king  was  doomed  to  suffer  by  the 
insolence  of  his  clergy.  Odo,  Archbishop  of 
Canterbury,  pretending  that  Elgiva  was  too 
near  a  relation  of  the  king's  to  be  his  wife, 
divorced  them ;  and,  obliging  Edwy  to  give  up 
his  consort,  had  her  face  burned  with  hot  irons 
to  spoil  her  beauty.  Elgiva  was  afterward 
carried  to  Ireland ;  and,  because  she  returned 
to  her  husband,  she  was  again  seized,  and  put  to 
death  in  a  most  cruel  manner. 

The  history  of  Edgar,  the  successor  of  Edwy, 
is  also  rendered  remarkable  by  his  marriage. 
The  Earl  of  Devonshire  had  a  beautiful  daugh- 
ter, of  whom  the  king  had  often  heard ;  so  he 
despatched  Ethelwald,  his  friend,  to  visit  her, 
and  bring  an  account  wb.etb.er  she  was  really  so 
charming  as  rumor  had  described. 

Ethelwald  was  quite  a  young  man,  and  so 
beautiful  did  he  find  Elfrida,  that  he  fell  in  love 
with  her,  and  secretly  married  her ;  then  he 
returned  to  court,  and  told  the  king  the  lady 
was  more  rich  than  lovely,  and  persuaded  him 
to  consent  to  his  own  marriage  with  her.  All 
falsehoods  are  certain  of  detection. 


THE    REIGN    OF    HAROLD.  29 

Edgar  soon  discovered  the  deceit  that  had 
been  practised  by  his  favorite,  and  resolved  to 
behold  the  lady.  He  therefore  took  a  journey 
to  that  part  of  the  country  where  Elfrida  lived, 
and,  without  saying  that  he  had  discovered  the 
trick,  he  begged  Ethelwald  to  introduce  him  to 
his  wife.  Ethelwald,  however  shocked  at  the 
request,  could  not  refuse  the  wishes  of  his  sover- 
eign ;  and  he  hastened  forward,  under  pretence 
of  preparing  his  wife  for  the  honor.  Falsehood 
— pretence — you  see  how  one  lie  brings  on  an- 
other ;  you  see  how  Ethelwald  is  entangling 
himself  in  a  net  of  his  own  weaving — pray  mark 
the  end  of  his  deceptions. 

Ethelwald  hastened  to  his  wife,  told  her  of 
the  falsehood  he  had  uttered,  and  implored  her 
to  veil  her  beauty  from  the  king.  Elfrida  was 
a  vain,  unfeeling  woman ;  and,  vexed  at  having 
lost  her  royal  admirer,  instead  of  dressing 
plainly,  put  on  her  most  becoming  garments. 

Edgar  beheld  her,  and  was  enchanted  with 
her  charms.  Ethelwald  was  soon  after  found 
murdered,  some  say  by  the  hand  of  the  king — 
doubtless  by  his  order.  Elfrida  was  married  to 
Edgar  ;  but  he  shortly  died,  and  then  she  far- 
ther showed  her  wicked  disposition. 

Edward,  surnamed  the  Martyr,  succeeded  his 
father,  Edgar ;  but  his  widow,  having  a  son  of 


30  FROM  ALFRED'S  DEATH  TO 

her  own,  though  she  affected  to  love  Edward, 
secretly  plotted  against  his  life.  One  day,  the 
young  monarch  called  upon  his  mother-in-law, 
at  her  residence,  Corfe  Castle,  in  Dorsetshire  ; 
he  was  alone,  and,  being  thirsty,  requested  to 
have  a  draught  of  wine.  Whilst  drinking,  a 
servant  of  Elfrida's,  by  her  order,  stabbed  him 
in  the  back.  Feeling  the  wound,  he  galloped 
from  the  spot ;  but,  becoming  faint  from  loss  of 
blood,  he  fell  from  his  horse,  and  was  found 
mangled  and  dead.  His  domestics  privately 
buried  his  body  at  Wareham. 

Ethelred,  for  whose  advancement  Elfrida  had 
performed  this  bloody  deed,  was  a  feeble  prince  ; 
and  in  his  reign  the  Danes,  under  Sweyn,  their 
king,  gained  -possession  of  a  large  part  of 
England. 

Under  the  reign  of  his  son  Edmund,  surnamed 
Ironside,  they  completed  their  conquest ;  and, 
murdering  this  brave  but  unfortunate  prince, 
Canute  the  Great,  King  of  Denmark,  became 
also  King  of  England. 

Of  this  Canute  you  will  read  a  pretty  drama, 
in  the  "  Evenings  at  Home."  He  was  consid- 
ered a  wise  and  good  monarch  ;  and,  as  he  pos- 
sessed three  crowns,  at  his  death  he  gave  one 
to  each  of  his  sons.  Sweyn  had  Norway; 
Hardicanute,  Denmark ;  and  Harold,  England. 


THE    REIGN    OF    HAROLD.  31 

Hardicanute,  or  Canute  II.,  after  the  death  of 
Harold,  possessed  the  English  throne. 

Edward  the  Confessor,  a  Saxon  prince,  next 
reigned.  He  was  supported  in  his  claims  by 
Godwin,  Earl  of  Kent.  This  Godwin  was  so 
much  loved  by  the  people,  that  his  son  Harold 
became  king  after  the  death  of  Edward.  Ed- 
ward's nephew,  Edgar  Atheling,  the  great-ne- 
phew of  King  Edward,  was  too  young  to  reign ; 
so,  it  is  said,  the  dying  king  thought  of  calling 
in  William,  Duke  of  Normandy. 

Harold  reigned  only  a  few  months. 

You  see,  England  was  first  conquered  and 
governed  by  the  Romans  ;  secondly,  by  the 
Saxons  ;  thirdly,  by  the  Danes  ;  and,  fourthly, 
you  will  find  a  Norman  king  wearing  the  Eng- 
lish crown.  It  was  in  the  time  of  Ethelred  and 
Canute,  that  France  was  governed  by  Robert, 
son  of  Hugh  Capet.  This  Hugh  Capet  was 
originally  a  high  oflScer  in  the  kingdom,  and  bore 
the  title  of  Duke  of  France ;  but,  in  conse- 
quence of  the  feeble  government  of  the  descend- 
ants of  Charlemagne,  the  people  chose  him  for 
their  king,  instead  of  the  rightful  heir ;  and 
from  him  are  descended  the  present  royal  fami- 
ly of  France.  Robert,  as  I  have  just  said,  was 
son  of  Hugh  Capet,  and  ascended  the  throne  at 
the  age  of  twenty-five.  He  married"  Bertha,  a 


32  ROBERT    AND    HIS    QUEEN. 

very  amiable  princess,  who  was  the  delight  of 
his  life ;  notwithstanding  which,  this  marriage 
caused  him  great  misery  ;  and  I  will  tell  you 
how  this  happened.  In  France,  the  people  are 
of  the  Roman  Catholic  religion ;  and  the  high- 
est of  all  the  priests  of  that  religion  is  called 
the  Pope.  Now  the  Roman  Catholics  are  very 
much  afraid  of  offending  the  Pope,  for  they  be- 
lieve  his  power  to  be  greater  than  that  of  any 
king  on  earth,  and  think  that  whatever  he  or- 
ders is  the  will  of  God  himself,  and  that  he  can 
even  forgive  sins.  Well,  the  Pope  was  very 
angry  with  Robert  for  marrying  Bertha,  because 
he  had  not  asked  his  consent ;  so  he  dissolved 
the  marriage,  and  condemned  the  king  and 
queen  to  do  penance  continually  for  seven  years. 
Robert,  loving  his  wife  very  much,  refused  to 
obey  ;  upon  which  the  Pope  became  quite  furi- 
ous, and  excommunicated  him.  Now  this  was 
a  very  terrible  thing  ;  for  it  means  laying  a  per- 
son under  the  curse  of  the  Pope  ;  and  when 
any  one  is  excommunicated,  he  is  not  allowed 
to  go  to  church ;  all  people  are  forbidden  to  re- 
ceive him  into  their  houses,  or  to  have  any  kind 
of  intercourse  with  him  ;  and  if  he  dies  in  that 
state,  he  is  not  buried  in  holy  ground,  no  pray- 
ers are  read,  nor  is  any  kind  of  ceremony  used 
at  his  funeral ;  so  that  every  one  considers  ex- 


ROBERT    AND    HIS    Q.UEEN.  33 

communication  as  the  most  dreadful  thing  in 
the  world.  Poor  Robert  was  thus  shamefully 
persecuted  by  the  Pope,  without  having  done 
anything  that  deserved  punishment.  All  the 
people,  and  even  the  nobles,  deserted  him ;  only 
two  of  his  servants  remained  with  him  ;  and 
these  were  so  superstitious,  that  they  purified 
with  fire  the  plate  he  made  use  of  at  his  table, 
as  if  it  had  been  infected  by  touching  his  hands. 
Every  one. had  such  a  hatred  of  an  excommuni- 
cated person,  that  he  did  not  appear  any  longer 
as  a  man,  but  a  monster.  At  last,  Robert  was 
obliged  to  give  way,  and  to  break  his  marriage 
with  the  good  Bertha,  whom  he  dearly  loved, 
and  who  was  an  excellent  wife.  He  then  mar- 
ried Constance,  a  proud,  imperious  woman,  who 
made  him  very  unhappy  ;  and  was  such  a  tyrant 
that,  when  he  did  a  good  action,  he  was  obliged 
to  conceal  it  from  her.  If  he  rewarded  any  of 
his  servants,  he  always  said  to  them,  "  Take 
care  that  Constance  does  not  know  of  it."  Rob- 
ert died  at  the  age  of  sixty,  universally  regret- 
ted, for  he  was  an  excellent  prince,  mild,  pious, 
and  diligent.  His  greatest  praise  is,  "  that  he 
was  sovereign  over  his  own  passions  as  well  aa 
over  his  people."  In  his  reign  there  was  a 
dreadful  famine,  which  was  the  cause  of  many 
crimes  and  calamities. 


34  EVENTS    OF    SCOTTISH    HISTORY. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

EVENTS    OF    SCOTTISH    HISTORY. VLADIMIR    THE 

GREAT. 

You  have  not  yet  read  Shakspeare's  plays  ; 
but  at  some  future  day  you  will,  and  I  almost 
envy  you  the  pleasure  of  their  first  perusal. 
Many  of  his  plays  are  founded  on  historical 
facts,  so  that  they  are  instructive  as  well  as 
amusing.  Among  them  is  a  tragedy  called 
Macbeth ;  the  horrid  deed  which  forms  the  story 
of  this  play  was  perpetrated  in  the  reign  of 
Hardicanute,  1040. 

Macbeth,  a  usurping  noble,  after  procuring 
the  death  of  his  royal  master,  "  the  gracious 
Duncan,"  caused  himself  to  be  proclaimed  king ; 
and  the  sons  of  Duncan  fled  from  the  villany 
of  the  usurper. 

Malcolm,  one  of  these  sons,  afterward  col- 
lected a  force,  and  fought  successfully  against 
Macbeth.  He  finally  defeated  him,  and  ascend- 
ed the  throne  of  Scotland,  under  the  title  of 
Malcolm  III.  surnamed  Canmore.  Before  this 
period,  the  history  of  Scotland  is  not  well  known. 

When  Harold  II.,  son  of  Godwin,  Earl  of 
Kent,  ascended  the  English  throne,  the  rightful 


THE    TURKS    AND    SARACENS.  35 

successor,  Edgar  Atheling  (the  great-nephew 
of  the  last  Edward),  fled  with  his  two  sisters, 
Margaret  and  Christina,  to  the  court  of  Scot- 
land. The  King  of  that  country,  Malcolm,  re- 
ceived them  kindly,  and  soon  after  married 
Margaret.  Pray  fix  in  your  memory  this  mar- 
riage of  a  Saxon  princess  with  the  Scottish 
monarch.  I  shall  hereafter  call  upon  you  to 
recollect  the  union. 

You  have  heard  of  the  lake  of  Geneva,  and 
the  city,  of  the  same  name,  situated  on  its  banks. 
This  city  was  visited  by  Julius  Caesar  ;  and  the 
successors  of  Charlemagne  added  it  to  the  Ger- 
man empire.  The  Saracens  pillaged  it  in  the 
reign  of  Athelstan. 

The  Turks  also  ravaged  the  neighborhood  of 
Bagdad.  This  magnificent  city  had  been  for 
many  centuries  the  residence  of  the  Caliphs  ;  but 
the  Turks  burned  a  great  part  of  it ;  and  their 
chief,  Togrul,  very  much  diminished  the  power 
of  the  Caliphs. 

The  Turks  also  possessed  themselves  of  Je- 
rusalem, after  subduing  the  Saracens,  who  had 
long  been  its  masters.  Observe  this  event — 
the  city  of  Jerusalem  in  the  hands  of  the  infi- 
del Turks  !  The  Turks  were  called  Infidels, 
because  they  did  not  believe  in  the  Christian 
religion. 


36  VLADIMIR   THE    GREAT. 

The  Saracens  were  driven  out  of  the  island 
of  Sicily  by  Robert  Guiscard,  a  Norman.  In 
short,  the  Normans  were  in  great  power ;  they 
possessed  a  large  portion  of  Italy,  a  fine  pro- 
vince in  France,  and,  to  crown  all,  gave  a  king 
to  England. 

The  Russians,  a  people  descended  from  the 
Sclavonians,  and  settled  in  the  north  of  Europe, 
though  in  a  very  rude  state,  had  been  long  gov- 
erned by  a  king.  They  were  pagans,  and 
none  of  the  Russian  monarchs  showed  more  de- 
voutness  in  the  adoration  of  their  heathen  dei- 
ties than  Vladimir,  who  began  to  reign  toward 
the  close  of  the  tenth  century.  It  was  his 
practice  to  express  his  gratitude  for  the  success 
which  they  granted  to  his  arms  by  offering  on 
their  altars  some  of  the  prisoners  whom  he  had 
taken  in  war.  About  the  year  1000,  Vladimir 
became  a  Christian,  and  thenceforward  set  his 
subjects  a  shining  pattern  of  charity  and  be- 
nevolence. He  not  only  abjured  idolatry  him- 
self, and  destroyed  the  idols  which  he  had  caused 
to  be  raised  in  his  dominions,  but  used  every 
exertion  to  persuade  and  compel  his  subjects  to 
follow  his  example.  To  convince  them  how 
senseless  and  worthless  these  idols  were,  he 
ordered  one  of  them  to  be  tied  to  the  tail  of  a 
horse,  beaten  with  sticks,  and  dragged  to  the 


VLADiMIR   THE    GREAT.  37 

river ;  and,  as  this  was  doing,  he  observed  to 
his  subjects — "  How  can  this  wooden  image  be 
a  god  to  let  us  beat  and  abuse  it  in  such  a  man- 
ner !" 

As  a  pagan,  Vladimir  had  been  lavish  of 
human  blood,  and  set  but  a  trifling  value  on  the 
life  of  a  man ;  but  after  he  had  adopted  the  re- 
ligion of  Jesus,  he  could  scarcely  be  persuaded 
to  sentence  to  death  a  single  highway  robber. 
His  former  delight  had  been  in  storming  towns 
and  gaining  battles ;  but  he  now  found  his 
greatest  pleasure  in  building  churches  and  en- 
dowing seminaries  of  education.  On  great  fes- 
tivals, he  gave  entertainments  to  the  inhabit- 
ants of  his  capital,  and  was  accustomed  to  send 
refreshments  to  those  who,  by  sickness  and  in- 
firmity, were  prevented  from  attending  them. 
By  these  and  other  marks  of  regard  for  the 
welfare  of  his  people,  he  contributed  to  wean 
them  from  their  former  idolatry,  and  to  win 
them  over  to  the  mild  doctrines  of  the  religion 
which  he  himself  professed. 


38  WILLIAM    I. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

WILLIAM  I.   SURNAMED  THE  CONQUEROR. 

WILLIAM  was  the  son  of  Robert,  Duke  of 
Normandy.  Ethelred  had  married  Emma,* 
sister  of  Richard,  Duke  of  Normandy.  Ed- 
ward the  Confessor  was  their  son  ;  and  William, 
thus  related  to  him  on  his  mother's  side,  pre- 
tended that  Edward  had  called  him,  as  his  kins- 
man, to  the  throne. 

At  the  head  of  a  fine  army,  composed  of 
French  and  Normans,  William  landed  at  Peven- 
sey,  on  the  Sussex  coast ;  and  sending  back  his 
fleet,  proceeded  to  Hastings. 

Harold,  son  of  Earl  Godwin,  who  had  got  pos- 
session of  the  crown,  soon  appeared  with  some 
gallant  troops  to  oppose  the  invader.  They 
fought.  Harold  performed  all  that  skill  or 
courage  could  inspire,  and  died  in  the  thickest 
of  the  fight,  with  his  sword  in  his  hand,  amidst 
heaps  of  fallen  foes.  His  death  decided  the 
struggle,  and  William  was  proclaimed  king  of 
England. 

The  English  had  formerly  paid  a  tax,  called 

*  After  the  death  of  Ethelred  II.  Canute  married  his 
widow  Emma,  and  Hardicanute  was  their  son. 


THE    CONQUEROR.  39 

Danegelt,  either  to  be  sent  as  a  tribute  to  the 
Danes,  or  as  a  fund  to  protect  the  kingdom  from 
the  Danes.  Edward  had  abolished  this  tax : 
William  revived  it.  He  was  fond  of  hunting  ; 
and,  to  enjoy  this  recreation,  he  destroyed  seve- 
ral villages,  and  sent  their  houseless  inhabit- 
ants to  wander  abroad,  without  homes,  or  with- 
out any  compensation  for  the  homes  he  had 
taken  from  them.  You  know  the  New  Forest, 
in  Hampshire ;  that  was  the  scene  of  this  in- 
iquitous proceeding ;  and  thirty  miles  of  land 
were  there  planted  with  trees,  to  serve  as  sport- 
ing ground  for  the  King. 

He  caused  an  account  of  all  lands,  their  value, 
and  their  inhabitants,  to  be  compiled  in  regular 
order ;  and  this  account,  when  completed,  was 
called  Domesday  Book. 

Do  you  remember  what  has  been  said  about 
the  feudal  laws  ?  William  introduced  this  feu- 
dal system  into  England,  dividing  the  land  into 
portions,  and  requiring  from  those  to  whom  he 
gave  them  a  promise  of  military  service  for  the 
gift. 

He  tried  to  make  the  French  language  gene- 
rally spoken  :  but  in  this  he  could  not  succeed. 
In  the  courts  of  law,  business  was  done  in  that 
foreign  tongue ;  and  there,  even  to  this  day, 
some  French  phrases  are  in  use.  Indeed,  you 


40  WILLIAM    I. 

can  suppose,  what  is  the  truth,  that  the  English 
language  has  many  words  derived  from  the 
French  and  Saxon  tongues,  and  also  several 
from  the  Latin  ;  and,  as  Greece  was  the  coun- 
try where  the  arts  and  sciences  early  flourish- 
ed, the  terms  of  art  and  science  are  generally 
taken  from  Greek  words. 

One  excellent  service  was  performed  by  Wil- 
liam for  the  people  he  had  conquered.  He  es- 
tablished the  trial  by  jury,*  which  the  Saxons 
and  Normans  had  long  practised.  A  jury  means 
twelve  men  of  nearly  the  same  rank  in  life  with 
the  person  about  to  be  tried.  These  twelve 
men  hear  all  that  is  said  for  and  against  the 
prisoner,  and  then  declare,  on  their  oath,  whe- 
ther they  think  him  "  guilty"  or  "  not  guilty  ;" 
according  to  what  they  declare,  the  judge  con- 
demns or  acquits  the  prisoner.  Before  this  ad- 
mirable regulation,  the  English  had  strange 
modes  of  trying  offences  :  sometimes  the  ac- 
cused was  made  to  walk  blindfold  among  red- 
hot  ploughshares  ;  and  if  he  escaped  being  burn- 
ed, he  was  pronounced  guiltless.  You  plainly 
perceive  that  chance,  not  justice,  determined 
the  point. 

Sometimes  the  accused  person  was  tied  hand 

*  First  known  in  the  time  of  Ethelred  I.  and  afterward 
revived  by  Alfred. 


THE    CONQ.UEROR.  41 

and  foot,  and  thrown  into  water  ;  if  he  sank,  he 
was  pronounced  innocent ;  if  he  swam,  he  was 
deemed  guilty,  as  accomplishing  so  difficult  and 
unnatural  an  act.  Observe,  that  in  either  case 
the  accused  lost  his  life ;  this  plan  then  was 
worse  than  the  other. 

Sometimes  the  accused  and  the  accuser  fought 
together,  and  the  victor  was  proclaimed  guilt- 
less. Skill  and  strength  were  in  these  cases 
the  deciders. 

William,  as  a  king  and  a  conqueror,  might  be 
thought  an  object  of  envy ;  but  his  heart  was 
wounded  by  piercing  sorrows,  by  that  keenest 
of  foes — the  ingratitude  of  children. 

Robert,  his  eldest  son,  a  rash,  impetuous 
youth,  strove  to  seize  upon  Normandy.  Wil- 
liam hastened  to  punish  him.  In  a  skirmish, 
the  father  and  son  met :  their  helmets  so  cov- 
ered their  faces  that  neither  knew  the  other. 
The  prince  threw  his  father  from  his  horse, 
wounded  him  in  the  arm,  and  would  in  another 
moment  have  killed  him,  had  not  William  called 
aloud  for  help.  Robert  instantly  recognized 
his  father's  voice  ;  and,  shocked  at  the  crime  he 
was  about  to  commit,  jumped  from  his  horse, 
and  assisted  his  parent  to  rise.  Then,  throw- 
ing himself  on  his  knees,  he  showed  that  some 
goodness  yet  remained  in  his  bosom,  some  wis- 
4 


42  WILLIAM    I.      THE    CONQUEROR. 

dom  in  his  mind,  by  confessing  his  fault,  im- 
ploring pardon,  and  promising  amendment. 

So  great  a  fault  could  not  be  easily  overlook- 
ed ;  but,  after  some  time,  Robert  was  forgiven 
by  his  justly  offended  father.  The  reason  of 
this  young  prince's  rebellion  was  a  quarrel  with 
his  brothers.  When  they  were  boys  at  play 
together,  the  three  younger  sportively  threw 
water  at  their  elder  brother  :  this  offence  Rob- 
ert never  properly  forgave ;  yet,  whilst  thus 
harboring  animosity,  he  presumed  to  ask  pardon 
of  his  father  for  a  fault  how  much  greater  !  Do 
not  copy  this  bad  example,  but  freely  forgive 
.others,  as  you  would  be  freely  forgiven. 

William  died  at  a  village  near  Rouen,  in  Nor- 
mandy, in  the  sixty -first  year  of  his  age  ;  twen- 
ty-one of  which  he  had  sat  on  the  English 
throne. 

Like  all  other  usurpers,  he  was  always  afraid 
of  plots  against  him ;  and  therefore,  to  prevent 
secret  and  nightly  meetings  of  the  people,  he 
ordered  that  at  eight  o'clock  every  evening,  at 
the  sounding  of  a  bell,  all  fires  and .  candles 
should  be  extinguished.  Couvre-feu,  the  Nor- 
man term,  was  the  origin  of  curfew,  the  Eng- 
lish name  for  this  law.  You  remember  the  line 
of  Gray's, 

"  The  curfew  tolls  the  knell  of  parting  day." 


RODERIGO,    THE    CID.  43 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

RODERIGO,    THE    CID.*       1080. 

HUGH  CAPET,  as  I  have  already  mentioned, 
seized  upon  the  crown  of  France  in  987,  and 
established  his  family  on  the  throne.  A  grand- 
son of  his,  Philip  I.,  reigned  there  when  Wil- 
liam I.  conquered  England.  This  Philip  great- 
ly incensed  the  Pope  by  marrying  a  second  wife 
whilst  his  first  wife  was  alive.  The  Pope,  as 
head  of  the  church,  always  interfered  in  such 
affairs,  and  in  this  case  punished  the  King  by 
excommunication. 

Philip  was  afterward  relieved  from  this 
heavy  judgment ;  and  a  gallant  son  rescued  him 
from  the  contempt  and  misery  that  his  disgrace 
had  drawn  upon  him,  and  also  saved  him  from 
his  domestic  and  foreign  foes. 

Louis  was  a  wise  and  virtuous  prince,  and 
not  only  gained  many  battles  for  his  father,  but, 
by  steady  good  conduct,  caused  his  own  and  his 
parent's  name  to  be  feared  and  respected.  How 
much  may  be  done  by  a  single  person,  active 
and  well-disposed ! 

*  Cid,  a  chief,  a  commander ;  from  El  Seid,  the  Arabic 
for  Lord. 


44  RODERIGO, 

The  Emperors  of  Germany  were  struggling 
to  be  considered  as  chiefs  of  all  the  states  of 
Europe ;  and  affected  to  have  a  right  to  elect 
kings  for  every  country,  calling  themselves  Head 
of  all.  This  supremacy  the  Pope  denied ;  and 
hence  various  contests  between  these  two  poten- 
tates. 

The  Emperors  sometimes  succeeded  in  choos- 
ing a  Pope ;  but,  in  the  end,  the  Pope  obtained 
the  long-desired  privilege  of  being  at  the  head 
of  the  states  of  Europe.  Henry  IV.  of  Ger- 
many, after  besieging  Rome,  and  twice  making 
the  Pope  his  prisoner,  was  at  length  so  com- 
pletely subdued  by  his  antagonist,  that  he  was 
obliged  to  do  him  homage.  When  on  his  knees 
before  the  Pontiff,  humbly  suing  for  mercy,  it  is 
said,  the  Pope  insolently  kicked  the  crown  from 
the  head  of  the  Emperor.  This  was  taking  a 
base,  ungenerous  advantage  of  power. 

Spain  was  almost  all  in  the  possession  of  the 
Moors,  and  Portugal  was  also  in  their  hands. 
Koderigo  di  Bivar,  a  very  valiant  captain,  of 
•whom  you  will  often  hear  under  his  other  title 
of  Roderigo  the  Cid,  now  much  distinguished 
himself.  He  fought  bravely  for  his  sovereign, 
Alphonso,  King  of  Old  Castile,  and  gained  for 
him  the  kingdom  of  New  Castile.  For  this 


THE    CID.  45 

service  he  was  rewarded  by  the  gift  of  the  pro- 
vince of  Valencia. 

You  have  heard  us  all  talk  of  the  adventures 
of  Don  Quixotte,  a  pretended  knight-errant,  go- 
ing about  relieving -distressed  damsels  and  pun- 
ishing disloyal  knights.  Well,  this  famous  Cid 
was  a  real  knight,  who  performed  many  gallant 
and  chivalrous  actions,  and  was  deemed  the  no- 
blest of  that  class  of  warriors,  for  he  fought  for 
the  unfortunate,  and  combated  for  his  country. 

Under  him,  Henry,  Count  of  Burgundy,  son 
of  Robert,  King  of  France,  was  trained  to  war. 
This  Henry  rescued  Portugal  from  the  Moors, 
and  was  the  father  of  its  first  king,  Alphonso. 
Thus,  without  being  a  king,  he  raised  a  kingdom, 
and  bequeathed  a  crown. 

In  those  times,  chivalry,  or  knighthood,  great- 
ly flourished.  The  rank  of  knighthood  was  only 
conferred  on  men  of  good  character,  and  honor- 
able lineage.  The  ceremonies  by  which  a  knight 
was  installed  were  very  curious,  and  the  vow  he 
took  upon  himself  was  very  solemn  and  binding. 
He  received  a  sword  blessed  by  the  priest,  and 
he  promised  to  speak  the  trtith,  to  help  the  dis- 
tressed, to  be  courteous,  temperate,  and  vigi- 
lant, to  maintain  the  right,  and  to  fight  for  the 
protection  of  his  religion.  The  knight  devoted 
himself  to  martial  duties  ;  at  home,  he  was  mild 


46  WILLIAM    II.    RTJFTJS. 

and  polite  ;  abroad,  fierce  and  valiant.  He  was 
the  particular  friend  and  protector  of  women  ; 
and  every  lovely  lady  had  in  those  days  a  gal- 
lant knight. 

Knighthood,  at  its  first  institution,  dispensed 
benefit  and  procured  esteem ;  but  when,  after- 
ward, it  degenerated  into  folly  and  extrava- 
gance, it  promulgated  evil  and  was  despised. 
The  romance  of  Don  Qulxotte  was  written  to 
ridicule  this  degenerate  state  of  knighthood. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

WILLIAM    II.    RUFUS. 

ROBERT,  as  the  Conqueror's  eldest  son,  ought 
to  have  succeeded  him ;  but  he  had  too  much 
ofiended  the  King  to  expect  much  favor.  Rob- 
ert, therefore,  had  only  the  dukedom  of  Nor- 
mandy ;  and  William  II.  became  King  of  Eng- 
land ;  he  was  surnamed  Rufus,  from  the  red 
color  of  his  hair. 

The  youngest  brother,  Henry,  was  very  ill- 
used  by  both  his  elder  brothers  ;  and,  being 
despoiled  of  even  his  father's  legacy  of  five 
thousand  pounds,*  he  wandered  about  without 

*  A  large  sum  of  money  in  those  times,  when  the  pro- 


WILLIAM    II.    RUFUS.  47 

a  home  for  many  years.  He  did  not,  however, 
yield  his  rights  without  a  struggle  ;  for  he  en- 
tered a  small  fortress  in  Normandy,  and  defend- 
ed it  against  the  attacks  of  Robert  and  William. 

One  day,  when  William  had  carelessly  strayed 
from  his  camp,  he  was  attacked  by  two  armed 
horsemen,  who  were  on  the  point  of  slaying  him ; 
but  on  William  crying  out,  "  Stop,  ruffians  !  I 
am  the  King  of  England  !"  the  soldiers  instant- 
ly desisted :  one  of  them  gave  up  his  horse  to 
the  fallen  monarch,  and  William,  bidding  this 
man  follow,  liberally  rewarded  him.  Mean- 
while the  garrison  of  the  little  fortress  were 
enduring  the  greatest  distress  from  want  of 
water.  We,  who  have  abundance  of  this  puri- 
fying and  refreshing  fluid,  know  not  how  to 
estimate  its  real  worth ;  so  it  is,  that  we  dis- 
cover the  value  of  our  best  blessings,  not  in 
their  possession,  but  in  their  loss. 

Robert,  hearing  of  this  distress,  not  only  or- 
dered that  Henry  should  be  supplied  with  wa- 
ter, but  also  sent  him  some  wine.  William  did 
not  like  this  generosity,  and  said  so  :  to  which 
Robert  replied,  "  Shall  we  let  a  brother  die  for 
thirst  ?  Where  shall  we  find  another,  when  he 
is  gone  ?" 

cious  metals  were  scarce,  and  the  articles  of  life  cheap.  An 
ox,  6s. ;  a  sheep,  Is. ;  a  cow,  4s. 


48  THE    CRUSADES. 

This  tender  and  generous  action,  this  feeling 
speech,  is  not  in  character  with  what  is  else- 
where said  of  Robert's  implacable  temper.  So, 
as  it  is  always  best  to  judge  kindly,  we  will  be- 
lieve this  story,  and  hope  the  other  was  not  true. 

Robert  afterward,  wanting  a  sum  of  money 
to  go  on  the  crusades,  or  holy  wars,  persuaded 
William  to  lend  him  some,  and  mortgaged  (that 
is,  pledged  —  put  in  pawn)  his  dukedom  for  the 
amount.  William  immediately  made  his  clergy, 
who  were  the  wealthiest  of  his  subjects,  produce 
the  sum.  Robert  departed  toward  Jerusalem,  and 
William  took  possession  of  his  dukedom.  Nor- 
mandy was  thus  again  attached  to  the  English 
crown.  It  was  this  province  that  afterward  occa- 
sioned many  wars  between  France  and  England. 

William  was  as  fond  of  hunting  as  his  father, 
and  he  lost  his  life  by  his  favorite  sport,  and  on 
the  very  spot  which  had  been  disgraced  by  his 
father's  tyranny,  as  I  have  already  related  in 
the  English  Stories. 

CHAPTER  X. 

THE    CRUSADES. 

JERUSALEM  was  the  capital  of  Palestine :  a 
country  in  which  Jesus  Christ  was  born,  and 


THE    CRUSADES.  49 

lived,  and  died  :  Palestine  was  therefore  called 
the  Holy  Land  ;  it  was  always  reverenced  and 
loved  by  Christians,  and  they  frequently  trav- 
elled thither  to  offer  up  their  prayers.  In  pro- 
cess of  time,  a  very  fierce  and  warlike  people, 
called  Turks,  became  masters  of  this  venerated 
country ;  and,  as  they  were  very  great  enemies 
to  the  Christians,  they  oppressed  them  heavily, 
and  all  the  sovereigns  of  Europe,  as  well  as 
their  subjects,  were  sadly  grieved  that  this  sa- 
cred spot  should  belong  to  these  infidels,  as  they 
were  called. 

There  lived  at  that  time,  in  Amiens,  a  town 
of  Picardy,  in  France,  a  man  remarkable  for  his 
piety,  zeal,  and  secluded  life  ;  he  was  called  Pe- 
ter the  Hermit.  He  had  made  a  pilgrimage  to 
Jerusalem  ;  and,  shocked  to  think  that  the  holy 
city  should  be  in  the  power  of  infidels,  he  went 
to  Rome,  and  described  the  wretched  condition 
of  the  Christians  living  in  Palestine. 

The  Pope  was  very  willing  to  subdue  the 
Turks,  the  followers  of  Mohammed,  and  to  res- 
cue the  followers  of  Christ :  he  therefore  sent 
Peter  to  all  the  states  of  Italy  and  France,  to 
tell  his  mournful  story,  and  describe  the  misery 
he  had  felt  and  seen. 

By  degrees,  the  different  nations  were  arous- 
ed to  fight  in  the  cause  ;  and,  as  the  Pope  gave 
E  5 


50  THE    CRUSADES. 

the  soldiers  leave  to  wear  a  figure  of  the  cross 
on  their  shoulders,  the  enterprise  was  called 
the  "  Crusade."*  An  order  was  also  instituted 
called  "  The  Knights  of  Jerusalem."  You  will 
often  hear  of  such  institutions,  and  must  under- 
stand that  such  titles  were  bestowed  by  kings 
and  potentates  as  marks  of  honor  and  distinc- 
tion. 

Peter  the  Hermit  himself  led  the  first  army 
that  proceeded  from  Europe  to  Palestine  ;  but 
this  army  was  almost  all  cut  to  pieces,  and 
Peter  with  a  few  troops  only  escaped. 

Godfrey  of  Bouillon,  Robert  of  Normandy, 
and  several  other  illustrious  personages,  fol- 
lowed, with  a  second  army,  in  1096.  These 
conquered  the  Turkish  sultan,  Solyman ;  and 
then  advancing  to  Jerusalem,  they  besieged  and 
took  it.  The  inhabitants  of  this  city  were  bar- 
barously murdered,  the  Christians  alone  ex- 
cepted. 

After  they  had  taken  possession  of  the  city, 
the  crusaders  began  to  think  that  they  must  have 
a  king  to  govern  it ;  and  they  chose  Godfrey  of 
Bouillon,  a  very  brave  and  a  very  good  man. 
The  great  princes,  therefore,  took  him  to  the 
church  of  the  Holy  Sepulchre  of  our  Saviour, 
and  were  going  to  crown  him :  but  he  refused  a 

*  This  term  is  taken  from  the  Latin  word  crux,  a  cross. 


HENRY    I.       BEAUCLERC.  51 

crown  of  gold,  which  they  offered  him,  saying — 
"  They  should  never  see  him  wear  so  magnificent 
a  crown  in  the  place  where  the  Saviour  of  the 
world  had  been  crowned  with  thorns."  He  also 
refused  to  be  called  king,  and  would  only  have 
the  title  of  "  Defender  of  the  Holy  Sepulchre." 
After  the  city  of  Jerusalem  had  been  taken, 
most  of  the  troops  returned  to  Europe ;  and  on 
their  arrival  they  so  astonished  their  friends 
and  neighbors  with  accounts  of  what  they  had 
seen  and  achieved,  that  numberless  people  left 
their  homes,  and  travelled  to  Palestine  to  pay 
their  devotions  at  the  shrine  of  the  blessed 
Saviour ;  and  those  who  undertook  this  long 
journey  obtained  the  name  of  pilgrims. 


CHAPTER    XI. 

HENRY    I.       BEAUCLERC. 

As  William  Rufus  left  no  children,  his  elder 
brother  ought  to  have  succeeded  him.  But  Rob- 
ert just  then  was  in  Palestine,  far  distant  from 
England.  He  set  off,  to  be  sure,  on  his  return 
when  he  heard  of  his  brother's  death  ;  but,  on 
his  journey,  he  fell  in  love  with  a  beautiful  Ita- 
lian lady,  named  Sibylla.  He  married  her,  and 


52  HENRY    I.      BEAUCLERC. 

trifled  away  so  much  time,  that  he  lost  the  Eng- 
lish crown. 

Henry  was  in  the  New  Forest  when  William 
was  killed  there  ;  and,  hastening  to  London,  pro- 
cured himself  to  be  acknowledged  king. 

Robert,  on  his  arrival  in  Normandy,  strove  to 
make  Henry  give  up  his  usurped  royalty.  The 
brothers  had  many  meetings  and  many  battles 
on  the  subject.  Henry  was  finally  triumphant ; 
but  he  did  no  honor  to  himself.  The  opportu- 
nity of  doing  so  was  before  him,  but  he  did  not 
use  it.  How  often  we  perform  in  fancy  gene- 
rous deeds,  and  utter  in  thought  magnanimous 
sentiments  !  When  favorable  occasions  offer 
for  the  real  performance  of  noble  acts,  the  audi- 
ble expression  of  liberal  feelings,  how  seldom 
are  such  occasions  seized  !  It  is  better  to  per- 
form the  smallest  deed  of  virtue  than  only  in 
imagination  project  the  most  illustrious  actions. 

Unmindful  of  his  brother's  generous  mercy 
toward  him  in  his  hour  of  need,  Henry  basely 
and  ungratefully  committed  the  gallant  though 
imprudent  Robert  to  a  prison.  In  the  castle 
of  Cardiff,  in  Glamorganshire,  Robert  remained 
a  captive  twenty-eight  years,  and  there  he  died. 
Mournful  as  must  have  been  his  life,  and  dear 
as  liberty  is  to  every  heart,  who  would  not  ra- 


HENRY    I.       BEAUCLERC.  53 

ther  have  been  the  gallant  prisoner  than  the 
ungrateful  King  ! 

Robert  had  unquestionably  many  faults  :  but 
it  was  not  the  duty  of  a  brother  to  punish  him — 
to  punish  him,  too,  so  much  beyond  what  he  de- 
served !  There  is  a  horrid  story,  that  Henry 
rendered  his  brother  blind,  by  ordering  red-hot 
copper  basins  to  be  held  to  his  eyes  :  but  it  is 
difficult  to  believe  such  an  act  of  wanton  cru- 
elty. 

Robert  left  a  son,  named  William ;  a  brave 
and  virtuous  youth ;  and  Henry,  fearing  his  pre- 
tensions to  the  crown  of  England  and  the  duchy 
of  Normandy,  tried  to  make  him  his  prisoner. 

Louis  I.  of  France  protected  William ;  and 
the  youth  showed  himself  worthy  of  his  protec- 
tion by  his  valor  and  good  conduct.  The  uncle 
and  nephew  fought  many  battles  against  each 
other ;  in  one  of  which  Henry  was  dreadfully 
cut  in  the  head  by  Crispin,  a  valiant  Norman 
knight.  Wounded  as  he  was,  he  rushed  fiercely 
on  the  knight  who  had  hurt  him,  and  struck 
him  to  the  ground.  This  bravery  conduced  to 
his  victory:  and,  eight  years  afterward,  Wil- 
liam died,  leaving  his  uncle  without  a  competitor. 

Henry  was  now  surrounded  with  all  he  could 
desire.  His  daughter  Matilda  was  married  to 
the  Emperor  of  Germany  ;  and  he  had  a  prom- 


54  HENRY    I.      BEAUCLERC. 

ising  son,  whom  lie  loved  tenderly,  and  who  was 
now  eighteen  ;  but  this  son  was  snatched  from 
him  by  a  melancholy  catastrophe,  of  which  an 
account  has  been  given  in  the  "  Stories  from  the 
History  of  England."  --,. 

No  one  but  a  parent  can  judge  of  a  parent's 
affliction  on  the  loss  of  a  beloved  and  promising 
child  ! 

Henry  now  seemed  indifferent  to  all  the  hon- 
ors and  pleasures  of  the  world.  He  made  some 
efforts  to  secure  the  succession  to  his  grandson, 
Henry,  the  son  of  Maud,  who,  on  the  death  of 
the  Emperor,  had  married  Geoffrey  Plantagenet 
the  Count  of  Anjou's  eldest  son ;  and  Henry 
was  the  son  of  Maud  and  this  her  second  hus- 
band. 

The  Barons  swore  to  receive  this  grandson 
of  Henry  for  their  king.  The  monarch  died 
shortly  after.  It  is  supposed  that  his  death 
was  occasioned  by  eating  too  abundantly  of 
lampreys,  a  fish  of  which  he  was  uncommonly 
fond.  He  was  sixty-seven  years  old,  and  had 
shown  so  much  attachment  to  study  and  learn- 
ing, that  he  was  surnamed  Beauclerc,  the 
French  for  fine  scholar. 


ANNA    COMNENA.  55 


CHAPTER  XII. 

ANNA    COMNENA. 

WHEN  the  first  crusade  took  place,  Alexius 
Comnenus  was  Emperor  of  the  East.  The 
events  of  his  reign  were  recorded  by  his  daugh- 
ter, the  celebrated  Anna  Comnena.  She  was  a 
woman  of  singular  spirit  and  ability,  and  was 
only  thirteen  at  the  time  of  the  first  crusade. 
She  was  of  a  very  ambitious  temper  ;  and  it  is 
related  that  she  and  her  mother  Irene  endea- 
vored to  persuade  Alexius  to  disinherit  his 
son. 

Disappointed  in  this  wish,  she  conspired 
against  the  life  of  her  brother ;  and  when  her 
husband  opposed  her  cruel  schemes,  she  ex- 
claimed, in  a  rage,  "  that  nature  had  mistaken 
his  sex,  and  given  him  the  soul  of  a  woman." 

Here  we  see  to  what  dreadful  lengths  ambi- 
tion may  lead  its  votaries  !  Happier  far  the 
privacy  and  obscurity  which  virtue  dignifies, 
than  the  highest  eminence,  the  proudest  rank, 
which  vice  taints  and  disgraces  ! 

Had  Anna  Comnena  devoted  herself  to  do- 
mestic and  studious  pursuits,  her  life  would 
have  been  happy  and  her  memory  respected. 


56  ANNA    COMNENA. 

Her  brother,  John  Comnenus,  when  he  became 
Emperor,  hearing  of  her  perfidy,  banished  her 
from  court,  but  left  her  fortune  untouched. 

She  was  born  at  Constantinople,  and  died  in 
retirement.  Her  father,  Alexius,  sat  on  his 
throne  to  receive  the  homage  of  the  Latin 
princes,  some  of  whom  even  condescended  to 
kiss  his  feet.  A  French  baron  presumed  to  sit 
down  by  the  side  of  the  Emperor.  Count  Bald- 
win, a  celebrated  leader  among  the  crusaders, 
reproved  him  for  this  audacity,  exclaiming, 
"  Who  is  this  rustic  that  keeps  his  seat  while 
so  many  valiant  captains  are  standing  round 
him  ?" 

I  told  you  that  Margaret,  the  daughter  of 
Edward,  married  Malcolm,  King  of  Scotland. 
She  was  considered  so  wise  and  pious  a  prin- 
cess, that  after  her  death  she  was  canonized, 
that  is,  declared  to  be  a  saint,  and  was  thence- 
forth called  Saint  Margaret. 

After  the  death  of  her  brother,  Edgar  Athel- 
ing,  her  children  became  the  lawful  heirs  to  the 
crown  of  England.  Henry  I.  married  Maud, 
her  daughter  ;  by  which  marriage  he  strength- 
ened himself  on  the  English  throne. 

Malcolm,  the  husband  of  Margaret,  and  son 
of  the  murdered  Duncan,  after  a  glorious  reign, 
was  killed  when  besieging  the  town  of  Alnwick. 


STEPHEN.  57 

His  son  fell  at  the  same  time,  and  it  has  been 
thought  that  they  were  treacherously  massa- 
cred. 

The  brother  of  Malcolm,  Donald  Bane,  next 
•wore  the  Scottish  crown,  but  only  for  a  short 
time ;  for  he  was  dethroned  by  Duncan  II.  who 
reigned  in  his  stead.  Just  before  the  accession 
of  Henry  I.,  Edgar,  the  son  of  Malcolm,  ascend- 
ed the  throne  of  Scotland. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 


STEPHEN. 


STEPHEN  was  the  grandson  of  William  the 
Conqueror;  for  his  mother,  Adela,  was  the 
youngest  daughter  of  that  king  ;  consequently 
he  was  nephew  to  Henry  I. 

Stephen  had  been  very  kindly  treated  by  his 
uncle  :  yet  did  he  ungratefully  usurp  the  throne, 
in  disobedience  to  the  will  of  the  deceased  King, 
and  to  the  injury  of  his  cousin  Maud  and  her 
son  Henry  Plantagenet. 

Stephen,  having  obtained  the  crown  unjustly, 
found  himself  obliged  to  maintain  it  by  submit- 
ting to  undue  concessions.  He  gratified  the 
nobles  in  their  excessive  demands,  indulged  the 


58  STEPHEN. 

* 

wishes  of  the  clergy,  and  humored  the  whims 
of  the  people.  Thus,  in  fact,  by  the  very  means 
he  took  to  secure  his  power,  he  in  reality  un- 
dermined it.  Whatever  begins  with  injustice 
must  end  in  shame. 

The  people,  oppressed  by  the  powerful  barons, 
began  to  murmur  loudly  ;  and  Maud  appeared 
with  an  army  to  assert  her  rights.  Numerous 
battles  and  skirmishes  took  place  between  the 
troops  of  both  parties.  Maud  was  at  one  time 
decisively  successful.  Stephen  fought  with  the 
greatest  bravery  ;  though  on  foot  and  alone,  and 
attacked  by  numbers,  he  defended  himself  with 
his  battle-axe  in  a  surprising  manner.  The 
battle-axe  broke  in  his  hand.  The  brave  never 
despair.  Stephen  drew  his  sword,  and  con- 
tinued manfully  to  guard  himself.  At  last,  his 
sword  also  was  shivered  to  pieces  ;  and,  being 
without  any  farther  means  of  defence,  he  unwil- 
lingly surrendered  himself.  Courage,  you  see, 
gives  honor  to  the  vanquished,  as  well  as  to  the 
victor.  Accident  may  bestow  success,  and  we 
may  despise  the  conqueror  ;  but  the  brave  are 
respected,  even  when  overcome. 

It  was  a  pity  that  Stephen's  valor  was  shown 
in  so  bad  a  cause.  His  injustice  and  ingratiude 
make  us  hear  without  regret  that  he  was  thrown 
into  a  prison  and  loaded  with  chains. 


STEPHEN.  59 

Maud  reigned  but  a  short  time.  It  is  said, 
she  conducted  herself  with  pride,  and  showed  a 
hasty,  irritable  temper.  Always  listen  with 
candor  to  the  recorded  characters  of  persons 
living  or  dead.  Acquaint  yourselves  with  their 
actions,  and  judge  for  yourselves  how  far  they 
have  done  well  or  ill. 

Stephen  was  taken  from  his  dungeon ;  and, 
Maud  fleeing  before  the  arms  of  his  party,  he 
became  once  more  a  king.  But  his  dominion 
was  not  tranquil ;  for  as  soon  as  young  Henry 
was  fit  to  wield  a  sword,  he  raised  an  army,  and, 
entering  England  strove  to  possess  himself  of 
his  rightful  throne.  His  claim  was  so  just  that 
it  was  feebly  disputed.  Stephen  entered  into 
a  treaty,  by  which  it  was  determined  that  he 
should  reign  during  his  life,  but  that,  at  his 
death,  Henry  should  succeed. 

Stephen's  eldest  son,  Eustace,  died  about  this 
time  ;  and  his  second  son,  William,  inherited 
Boulogne  and  his  patrimonial  estate.  The  King 
died  soon  after  the  signing  of  this  treaty,  at 
Canterbury,  and  was  buried  in  that  city. 

His  life  had  been  eventful :  at  one  time  a 
mighty  monarch,  at  another  a  fettered  captive. 
You  cannot  fail  to  remark  that  his  ambition 
neither  added  to  his  happiness  nor  his  honor. 

In  early  times,  when  writing  was  not  known, 


60  STEPHEN. 

the  Britons  had  no  laws  but  such  as  were  au- 
thorized by  custom.  Thus  what  had  once  been 
done  under  certain  circumstances  was,  in  the 
same  circumstances,  again  adjudged.  Such  a 
fine,  or  such  a  punishment,  had  been  inflicted 
for  a  certain  crime  :  when  that  crime  was  again 
committed,  the  same  sentence  was  again  decreed. 
To  the  present  time,. the  common  law  of  Eng- 
land is  of  this  nature ;  not  regularly  written 
down,  but  adjudged  from  precedent,  that  is  cus- 
tom, or  what  had  been  done  before. 

In  the  reign  of  Stephen,  the  canon  and  civil 
laws  were  introduced  into  England.  The  canon 
laws  relate  to  the  government  of  the  church 
and  ecclesiastical  affairs  ;  the  civil  laws,  to  the 
government  of  cities,  and  matters  of  general 
business. 

Some  of  these  laws  were  derived  from  the 
famous  code  of  laws  collected  by  Justinian  from 
those  of  ancient  Rome. 

You  remember  the  twelve  tables,  instituted 
by  the  Decemviri,  a  set  of  men  who  visited 
Greece  on  purpose  to  select  the  wise  rules  and 
regulations  of  that  refined  and  learned  country. 
From  these  and  other  laws  Justinian  formed  his 
celebrated  code. 

A  portion  of  this  code,  called  "  The  Pandects," 
containing,  in  fifty  books,  the  opinions  of  the 


ALPHONSO,  KING  OF  PORTUGAL.     61 

most  celebrated  ancient  lawyers,  was  accident- 
ally discovered  at  Amalfi,  in  Italy,  1137.  Num- 
bers of  learned  men  in  Europe  began  to  study 
these  Pandects,  and  hence  the  opinions  they 
contained  found  their  way  in  to  the  jurisprudence 
of  most  countries. 

The  "  written  laws"  are  laws  made  by  the 
Parliament ;  but  of  these  you  shall  hear  more 
hereafter.  For  though,  in  the  time  of  the  Saxon 
princes,  there  were  public  assemblies  of  the 
people  holden  to  transact  business,  yet  these 
assemblies  were  not  like  the  meetings  which  are 
now  called  the  Parliament. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

GUELPHS  AND   GI1IBELLIN  KS. SECOND  CRUSADE. 

Do  you  recollect  what  was  told  you  of  Henry, 
Count  of  Burgundy  ? 

Alphonso,  his  son,  following  his  example,  was 
a  great  captain ;  and,  after  gaining  many  victo- 
ries over  the  Moors,  who  had  long  ruled  in  Por- 
tugal, he  at  length  so  completely  routed  those 
warlike  foes,  that  his  soldiers  proclaimed  him 
King  of  Portugal.  The  States-General  confirm- 
ed this  august  title,  and  made  laws  to  preserve 
p 


62  GUELPHS    AND    GHIBELLINES. 

it  to  the  family  of  Alphonso.  It  was  several 
years  before  he  was  able  to  reduce  the  whole 
country  under  his  dominion.  In  1146,  he  un- 
dertook the  siege  of  Lisbon  with  a  small  army  ; 
but  made  little  progress  in  it,  owing  to  the 
strength  of  the  place  and  the  numerous  garrison 
by  which  it  was  defended.  At  length  a  fleet  of 
adventurers  of  various  nations,  going  to  the 
Holy  Land,  anchored  at  the  mouth  of  the  river 
Tagus  ;  and  with  their  assistance,  which  he  so- 
licited, the  city  was  speedily  reduced.  His  de- 
scendants long  reigned  in  Portugal.  Look  for 
that  kingdom  in  the  map  of  Europe  :  you  will 
find  it  adjoining  to  Spain,  as  Wales  is  united  to 
England. 

Alphonso  I.  ascended  the  throne  of  Portugal 
in  the  reign  of  Stephen,  of  England,  1139. 

An  occurrence,  that  obtained  extensive  notice, 
happened  about  this  period  ;  and,  as  it  is  often 
spoken  of  in  history,  you  must  understand  its 
rise.  The  Pope,  now  possessing  temporal  do- 
minion, desired  to  gain  unlimited  power  in  all 
spiritual  matters.  The  Emperor  of  Germany 
opposed  these  pretensions.  Two  parties  were 
thus  created  :  the  friends  of  the  Pope  were  call- 
ed Guelphs  ;  the  friends  of  the  Emperor  were 
designated  Ghibellines. 
The  adherents  of  the  Pope  were  called  Guelphs, 


GUEPLHS    AND    GHIBELLINES.  63 

because  the  family  name  of  Henry  of  Bavaria 
was  Guelf,  or  Guelph  ;  and  Henry  opposed  the 
measures  of  the  Empepor  of  Germany,  and  fa- 
vored the  wishes  of  the  Pope.  The  origin  of 
the  name  of  Ghibellines  is  unknown.  At  the 
head  of  that  party  was  Frederick,  Duke  of 
Suabia.  Frederick  was  brother  to  the  Emperor 
Conrad  III.,  whose  election  was  opposed  by 
Henry  of  Bavaria.  Thus  the  parties  of  the 
Guelphs  and  Ghibellines  were  embroiled ;  and 
the  rival  factions  took  a  prominent  part  in  the 
general  dissensions.  Guelph,  you  know,  is  the 
name  of  the  present  royal  family  of  England, 
as  the  House  of  Brunswick  is  descended  from 
that  of  Bavaria. 

You  will  frequently  read  of  the  factions  of 
the  Guelphs  and  Ghibellines,  and  will  now  com- 
prehend something  of  what  those  terms  mean. 

It  was  about  this  time  that  the  second  cru- 
sade was  undertaken.  The  Turks,  after  their 
defeat  by  Godfrey  of  Bouillon  and  the  other 
European  princes,  continued  greatly  to  harass 
the  Christians.  Their  sultan,  Solyman,  still 
occupied  the  open  country,  and  took  every  op- 
portunity of  annoying  the  conquerors  of  Jeru- 
salem. 

The  Christians,  harassed  and  distressed, 
again  applied  for  succor  to  the  states  of  Europe; 


64  SECOND    CRUSADE. 

and  the  priest.  Bernard,  like  his  predecessor, 
Peter  the  Hermit,  exerted  himself  to  arouse  the 
people  and  the  princes. 

At  this  time,  Louis  VII.  occupied  the  French 
throne.  He  was  a  very  religious  prince,  but 
sometimes  acted  imprudently,  from  want  of  suf- 
ficient reflection.  A  civil  war  having  broken 
out  in  his  kingdom,  Louis  marched  into  Cham- 
pagne, and  made  himself  master  of  the  town  of 
Vitri.  Some  of  the  inhabitants  took  refuge  in 
the  principal  church,  and  defended  themselves 
in  it ;  which  enraged  the  King  so  much,  that  he 
ordered  it  to  be  set  on  fire,  and  more  than  thir- 
teen hundred  persons  perished  in  the  flames. 
Louis  was  afterward  miserable  at  the  recollec- 
tion of  his  own  cruelty,  and  reproached  himself 
most  bitterly  for  this  barbarous  act.  He  was 
very  unhappy  for  some  time ;  and  at  last  resolv- 
ed to  go  on  a  crusade  to  the  Holy  Land,  in  the 
hope  that  God  would  restore  him  to  peace  of 
mind,  after  going  on  so  long  and  dangerous  an 
expedition  as  a  proof  of  his  repentance.  He 
therefore  ordered  an  assembly  of  the  people  at 
Vezelai,  in  Burgundy,  in  the  year  1146  ;  and 
there  the  King  and  Bernard,  who  had  persuad- 
ed him  to  go  on  this  crusade,  mounted  a  scaf- 
fold in  an  open  field,  and  exhorted  every  one  to 
enter  into  this  holy  warfare.  All  ranks  of  per- 


SECOND    CRUSADE.  65 

sons  were  earnest  to  set  off;  and -princes,  no- 
bles, bishops,  in  short,  all  sorts  of  people,  took 
the  cross  with  the  greatest  enthusiasm.  The 
King  and  Queen  received  it  from  the  hands  of 
Bernard,  whose  advice  was  looked  upon  as  the 
counsel  of  heaven.  The  crosses  which  had 
been  prepared  being  insufficient  for  the  number 
of  people  who  wished  to  have  them,  Bernard 
made  some  from  part  of  his  own  robe,  and  per- 
mitted every  one  present  to  do  the  same.  The 
command  of  this  army  was  then  offered  to  the 
priest ;  but  he  was  too  prudent  to  accept  it,  be- 
cause he  knew  that  he  was  not  fit  for  it ;  but  he 
continued  preaching  to  the  people  ;  and,  after  he 
had  stirred  up  the  whole  kingdom,  he  went  into 
Germany,  to  persuade  the  Emperor  and  his  sub- 
jects to  join  this  cause.  Though  he  could  not 
speak  the  German  language,  yet  everybody 
hearkened  to  him  ;  and  even  the  Emperor,  Con- 
rad III.,  though  he  was  not  at  first  inclined  to 
go  on  the  crusade,  suffered  himself  to  be  per- 
suaded, and  set  out  the  first.  Louis,  contrary 
to  the  advice  of  his  wise  minister  Suger,  then 
began  to  march,  accompanied  by  his  queen.  In 
each  of  the  armies  there  were  seventy  thousand 
soldiers,  completely  armed  ;  these  consisted  of 
the  nobility,  heavily  armed,  and  followed  by 
light  cavalry.  But  this  grand  expedition  cost 
6 


66  SECOND    CRUSADE. 

the  Emperor  and  the  King  very  dear  ;  for  every- 
thing went  unfortunately  with  them,  and,  from 
various  causes,  the  ruin  of  the  Crusaders  was 
brought  about.  Instead  of  conquering  the 
Turks,  the  Emperor  Conrad  and  Louis  had  no 
advantage  but  that  of  visiting  devoutly  the  holy 
places  ;  and  they  both  returned  to  their  domin- 
ions without  glory,  and  almost  without  attend- 
ants. 

The  want  of  soldiers  caused  the  institution 
of  a  new  order  of  knights.  Some  monks  en- 
tered the  military  service,  under  the  title  of 
Knights  Templars  and  Knights  Hospitallers. 
The  pilgrims  of  Germany  also  enrolled  them- 
selves in  an  order,  called  the  Teutonic  Knights. 

Before  his  departure,  Louis  had  appointed 
Suger,  his  good  minister,  to  be  Regent,  or  Gov- 
ernor, of  the  kingdom,  in  his  absence,  with  the 
approbation  of  the  whole  nation  ;  and  when  he 
came  back,  he  found  all  things  flourishing  under 
his  wise  management.  But  envious  people  en- 
deavored to  ruin  Suger  in  the  opinion  of  his 
master  by  misrepresenting  his  actions  ;  but  this 
wickedness  was  not  successful ;  for  the  King 
did  justice  to  his  minister's  virtues,  and  gave 
him  the  greatest  of  rewards,  by  calling  him 
Father  of  his  country.  This  great  and  good 
man  had  been,  when  young,  in  very  humble  life, 


SECOND    CRUSADE.  67 

and  it  is  not  even  well  known  where  he  was 
born ;  but  he  raised  himself  by  his  talents  and 
integrity  to  a  very  high  station.  He  was  a 
monk  of  St.  Denis,  and  that  monastery  was  then 
a  school  where  children  of  the  highest  nobility 
were  educated  ;  even  those  of  the  royal  family 
were  brought  up  there.  Louis  VI.  had  receiv- 
ed his  education  there,  and  then  he  had  an  op- 
portunity of  knowing  the  virtues  of  Suger. 
When  Louis  became  king,  he  took  him  out  of 
the  monastery,  and  made  him  his  prime  minis- 
ter. At  the  death  of  Louis  VI.  his  son  Louis 
VII.  retained  him  in  the  same  situation ;  and 
he  would  have  obtained  the  reputation  of  a  great 
monarch,  had  he  always  followed  the  counsel  of 
his  wise  minister,  who  was  worthy  of  all  his 
confidence.  Suger  died  in  1152,  aged  seventy, 
after  fulfilling  his  duty  in  an  exemplary  man- 
ner; and  his  death  was  a  great  loss  to  his 
country. 

A  celebrated  warrior  now  began  to  make  him- 
self renowned ;  Saladin,  from  a  comparatively 
humble  station,  raised  himself  to  the  highest 
rank.  His  father  and  uncle,  by  their  bravery, 
had  also  elevated  themselves  to  posts  of  high 
distinction. 

In  early  youth,  Saladin  was  idle,  fond  of 
pleasure,  and  much  addicted  to  drinking ;  but 


DO  HENRY    II.       PLANTAGENET. 

when  his  mind  became  capable  of  noble 
thoughts,  he  blushed  for  his  former  weakness, 
and  ceased  to  indulge  in  unworthy  gratifications. 

The  indolent  and  voluptuous  can  never  become 
great,  wise,  or  happy.  Saladin,  when  he  found 
himself  sultan,  resolved  to  act  worthy  of  his 
high  rank.  He  wore  plain  garments,  drank 
only  water,  and  was  temperate,  chaste,  and 
religious. 

A  sincere  Mohammedan,  he  was  earnest  to 
extend  the  influence  of  the  creed  he  professed ; 
and  resolved  to  wrest  Jerusalem  from  the 
Christians,  and  restore  it  to  the  Turks.  You 
will  soon  see  whether  he  succeeded  in  his  de- 
sign. 


CHAPTER  XV. 

HENRY    II.    PLANTAGENET. 

ACCORDING  to  the  treaty  with  Stephen, 
Henry  II.  grandson  of  Henry  I.  ascended  the 
throne  of  England.  Henry  was  young,  vigor- 
ous, and  well  educated,  when  he  thus  became 
the  head  of  a  powerful  nation. 

How  elevating  to  a  generous  and  virtuous 
mind,  to  be  at  once  possessed  of  the  power  of 


HENRY    II.       PLANTAGENET.  69 

causing  the  felicity  of  thousands  of  one's  fellow- 
creatures  ! 

Henry  was  no  usurper ;  he  therefore  was  not 
compelled  to  admit  of  faults,  to  prevent  his  own 
from  heing  too  closely  noticed.  He  was  the 
lawful  prince  :  and  had  an  undisputed  right, 
as  he  seemed  to  have  a  wish  steadily  and  wisely 
to  govern. 

By  marriage  and  inheritance,  he  possessed 
many  provinces  in  France  ;  and  was  considered 
the  most  powerful  monarch  of  his  age. 

Thomas  a  Becket,  the  son  of  a  London  citizen, 
was  made  Archbishop  of  Canterbury  by  Henry, 
who,  when  he  conferred  this  honor,  was  little 
aware  of  the  troubles  about  to  ensue  from  it. 
The  clergy  in  those  days  were  proud  and  licen- 
tious, rich  and  powerful,  yet  desiring  increased 
riches  and  power.  Henry  did  not  like  to  hear 
of  their  oppression  and  luxury,  and  deemed  it 
advisable  that  such  oppression  should  be  pun- 
ished, and  such  luxury  prevented. 

He  expected,  by  making  Becket  head  of  the 
church,  that  he  should  in  him  possess  a  ready 
and  sagacious  friend.  But  Becket  disappointed 
his  generous  master,  and  was  more  anxious  to 
increase  the  privileges  of  the  clergy  than  to 
diminish  them,  more  inclined  to  limit  the  pre- 
rogative of  the  crown  than  to  enlarge  it. 


70  HENRY    II.       PLANTAGENET. 

The  offended  King  and  his  unworthy  subject 
were  involved  in  continual  disputes.  Becket, 
to  win  the  favor  of  the  Pope,  submitted  himself 
to  severe  austerities ;  he  wore  sackcloth  next 
his  skin,  fed  upon  bread  and  water,  and  beat 
himself  with  rods,  He  daily  washed  the  feet 
of  thirteen  beggars,  and  affected  excessive  hu- 
mility and  self-denial. 

The  Pope,  as  he  expected,  espoused  his  cause  ; 
and  the  Pontiff  and  the  King  were  irritated 
against  each  other.  By  great  concessions,  a 
sort  of  reconciliation  was  effected  between  the 
Archbishop  and  his  sovereign  ;  but  Becket,  con- 
tinuing his  haughty,  overbearing  carriage,  Hen- 
ry, in  a  moment  of  anger  and  vexation,  ex- 
claimed— "  I  have  no  friends  about  me,  or  I 
should  not  so  long  have  been  harassed  by  the 
insults  of  that  ungrateful  hypocrite." 

The  words  of  the  great  are  often  powerfully 
impressive.  Some  courtiers  who  heard  this  ex- 
clamation, instantly  retired  from  the  presence- 
chamber,  and,  binding  themselves  by  a  solemn 
oath,  hastened  to  fulfil  what  they  considered  the 
wishes  of  their  monarch. 

The  conspirators  proceeded  to  Canterbury, 
and  entered  the  palace  of  the  Archbishop.  They 
reproached  him  with  his  faults,  and,  following 
him  into  his  chapel,  just  as  he  had  reached  the 


HENRY    II.       PLANTAGENET.  71 

altar,  and  was  about  to  begin  his  vespers  (or 
evening  prayers),  they  fell  upon  him  and  killed 
him  with  many  blows. 

This  dreadful  murder  greatly  shocked  the 
King,  who  had  tried  to  prevent  it ;  and  it  was 
a  long  time  before  he  recovered  his  spirits.  The 
people,  too,  were  much  affected ;  and  Henry 
projected  an  expedition  against  Ireland,  to  divert 
them  from  their  mournful  reflections. 

Ireland  was  in  ancient  times  considered  as 
abounding  in  learned  men ;  but  the  incursions 
of  foreign  foes,  and  the  oppression  of  foreign 
rulers,  had  caused  learning  to  be  checked ;  and 
the  people  were  now  therefore  reduced  to  a  state 
of  barbarism.  The  island  was  governed  by 
many  petty  princes,  all  of  whom  were  in  turn 
subdued  by  the  English  King.  Roderic  O'Con- 
nor, King  of  Connaught,  was  the  last  that  sub- 
mitted ;  but  Henry  contrived  finally  to  make 
himself  master  of  the  whole  island ;  and  from 
that  period,  1172,  Ireland  may  be  considered 
as  under  the  dominion  of  the  sovereigns  of 
England,  although  little  intercourse  subsisted 
between  the  nations  for  several  centuries. 

But  this  splendid  conquest  only  for  a  short 
time  amused  the  minds  of  the  people  ;  and,  the 
Pope  persisting  in  remembering  the  murder  of 
Becket,  Henry  was  constrained  to  remember  it 


72  HENRY    II.      PLANTAGENET. 

too.  To  pacify  his  murmuring  subjects,  and 
soothe  the  incensed  Pontiff,  Henry  consented  to 
do  penance. 

Becket  had  been  canonized,  and  a  church  at 
Canterbury  was  dedicated  to  his  memory,  as 
St.  Thomas  of  Becket.  To  this  church  Henry 
repaired,  walking  barefoot  through  the  town  to 
the  altar  :  there  he  fasted,  prayed,  and  was  beat- 
en with  rods.  This  ceremony  was  deemed  a  full 
expiation  of  his  crime  ;  and  he  was  thenceforth 
considered  pardoned. 

The  eldest  son  of  Henry  behaved  insolently 
toward  his  father,  though  he  had  been  raised 
to  the  throne,  and  made  a  sharer  of  the  regal 
state.  At  his  coronation,  Henry,  to  do  him 
honor,  waited  on  him  at  table,  and  remarked  how 
honorably  he  was  attended.  The  prince  scorn- 
fully replied,  "  What  is  there  so  wonderful  in 
the  son  of  a  count  waiting  on  the  son  of  a  king  ?" 

These  words  bespoke  a  base  and  ungrateful 
character.  For  the  young  prince  should  have 
remembered  that,  if  he  had  the  greater  dignity 
in  being  the  son  of  a  king,  he  owed  that  dignity 
to  his  father. 

But  young  Henry  died,  and  never  obtained 
that  undivided  dominion  for  which  he  panted. 
He  and  his  brothers  had  rebelled  against  their 
father ;  but  the  valiant  Henry  overcame  them, 


BANK   OF    VENICE.  73 

and  widely  spread  around  his  fame.  William, 
King  of  Scotland,  who  had  abetted  the  rebel- 
lious sons,  was  vanquished,  and  obliged  to  do 
homage  to  the  English  monarch.  The  King  of 
France  also  felt  the  power  of  his  arms. 

A  second  insurrection  of  the  cruel  and  un- 
feeling young  princes  shortened  their  father's 
days.  When  Henry  heard  that  his  youngest 
and  favorite  son,  John,  had  joined  the  rebellious 
brothers,  he  broke  forth  into  bitter  lamentation ; 
and,  falling  ill,  died  soon  after  of  that  worst  of 
maladies,  a  broken  heart. 

Henry  deserved  a  better  fate.  He  appears 
to  have  been  brave,  active,  generous  and  wise. 
The  fame  of  England  was  augmented  by  his 
valor  ;  her  domestic  improvement  and  tranquil- 
lity were  increased  by  his  wisdom. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

BANK    OF    VENICE. 

You  daily  see  bank-notes,  and  you  frequently 
hear  of  banks.  A  bank  is  an  establishment  for 
receiving  and  taking  care  of  money,  and  paying 
it  out  again  as  it  is  wanted.  One  man,  or  two 
or  three  men,  establish  an  office  for  this  kind  of 
G  7 


74  BANK    OF    VENICE. 

business  ;  and  as  gold  and  silver  and  copper  are 
heavy  and  unwieldy  substances  to  pay  large 
sums  with,  bills,  or  notes,  are  issued,  of  differ- 
ent value,  bearing  the  name  of  the  bankers,  or 
keepers  of  banks  ;  thus  notes  worth  one  dollar, 
twenty  dollars,  five  hundred  dollars,  pass  cur- 
rent, or  for  coin  ;  and  trade  and  commerce  are 
more  easily  carried  forward. 

The  first  bank  was  established  at  Venice, 
1157,*  which  at  this  period  was  a  place  of  great 
trade.  Before  the  discovery  of  a  passage  to 
the  East  Indies  by  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope, 
Venice  was  the  resort  of  merchants  from  differ- 
ent parts  of  the  world.  Look  at  its  situation, 
and  you  will  quickly  understand  why  it  became 
the  chosen  spot  for  carrying  on  commerce  be- 
tween India  and  Europe. 

The  Crusades  also  caused  other  parts  of  Italy 
to  be  visited  by  numerous  strangers  ;  and  thus 
trade  was  made  to  flourish  in  its  different  prin- 
cipalities. The  bank  of  Venice  was  the  only 
bank  in  Europe  for  two  centuries  and  a  half. 
The  next  establishment  of  the  kind  was  opened 
in  1407,  at  Genoa,  a  city  of  Italy,  also  famous 
for  its  riches  and  commerce. 

Since  that  period,  banks  have  been  instituted 

*  Bank-notes  were  contrived  long  after  banks  had  been 
established. 


ORIGIN    OF    ROMANCES.  75 

in  all  parts  of  Europe.  The  Bank  of  England 
was  established  in  1694  ;  and  at  present  there 
is  scarcely  a  small  town  in  England  or  the  Uni- 
ted States,  that  has  not  one  or  two  banks. 

The  Crusades,  you  see,  encouraged  the  trade 
of  some  of  the  Italian  states  ;  they  also  produced 
a  new  species  of  writing.  You  can  readily  sup- 
pose that  the  youthful  and  valiant  knights  and 
their  pages  often  met  with  strange  adventures, 
which,  when  narrated,  formed  very  amusing 
tales.  To  write  such  tales,  and  upon  a  few  cu- 
rious facts  to  engraft  many  fictitious  adventures, 
was  soon  the  occupation  of  writers,  and  the  pe- 
rusal of  these  compositions  became  the  favorite 
entertainment  of  readers.  The  language  then 
spoken  at  the  court  of  France  was  called  the 
Romant*  language  ;  hence  these  tales  were  call- 
ed romances ;  a  name  still  given  to  wild  and 
improbable  fictions. 

After  the  disastrous  termination  of  the  sec- 
ond Crusade,  Saladin,  collecting  his  forces,  made 
a  vigorous  attack  upon  Jerusalem.  Guy  de 
Lusignan  was  then  king  of  the  city ;  his  wife 
was  heiress  of  the  Count  Baldwin,  who  had  suc- 
ceeded Godfrey  on  the  throne  of  Jerusalem. 

Lusignan   was  vanquished  by  the  valorous 
Sultan ;  and,  being  led  captive  into  the  tent  of 
*  Romant,  romans,  or  romantic. 


76          JERUSALEM    TAKEN   BY    SALADIN. 

his  conqueror,  lie  fainted  from  fatigue  and  afflic- 
tion. Saladin  instantly  presented  him  with  a 
cup  of  sherbet,  cooled  in  snow  (for  in  warm 
countries  liquors  so  cooled  are  peculiarly  refresh- 
ing), saying,  as  he  did  so,  "  The  person  and  dig- 
nity of  a  king  are  sacred."  The  city  soon  after 
came  into  the  possession  of  the  Sultan. 

It  is  said  that  Saladin  used  his  power  with 
clemency,  and  was  as  lenient  in  peace  as  daring 
in  war  :  he  behaved  kindly  to  Sybilla,  wife  of 
Lusignan  ;  and,  after  a  short  captivity,  liberated 
her  husband  for  a  certain  ransom.  But  the 
Sultan  stained  his  glory  by  the  execution  of  two 
hundred  and  thirty  knights,  whose  only  fault 
was  their  faithful  valor.  He  converted  the 
churches  into  mosques,  and  restored  the  Moham- 
medan religion.  The  golden  cross,  the  symbol 
of  the  Christian  faith,  was  thrown  down,  and 
the  Koran  supplanted  the  Bible.  The  word 
"  Koran,"  like  our  word  "Bible,"  means  "Book," 
emphatically  distinguishing  the  holy  volume 
from  all  other  books. 


RICHARD    I.       COEUR    DE    LION.  77 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

RICHARD    I.      CCEUR    DE    LION. 

RICHARD,  the  second  son  of  Henry,  ascend- 
ed the  throne,  and,  when  it  was  too  late,  repent- 
ed of  his  undutiful  conduct  toward  his  father. 
When  he  saw  the  pale  corpse,  he  started  with 
horror,  and  exclaimed,  "  Alas  !  it  was  I  who 
murdered  him !" 

A  horrible  reflection  !  Few,  probably,  have 
just  cause  for  such  profound  self-reproach ;  but 
how  many  act  unkindly  toward  their  best 
friends,  and  thus  prepare  for  themselves  future 
regret !  It  would  be  wise  for  all  of  us  to  medi- 
tate often  how  we  shall  wish  to  have  acted 
toward  those  whom  we  love  when  they  are  no 
longer  with  us.  If  we  desire  to  think  upon  our 
departed  relatives  and  friends  without  remorse, 
we  must  behave  toward  them  with  duty  and 
affection. 

Richard  showed  his  repentance  by  dismissing 
from  his  presence  all  who  had  encouraged  his 
faulty  conduct ;  and  perhaps  it  was  with  a  hope 
of  expiating  his  filial  misdemeanors  that  he 
turned  his  mind  to  an  expedition  against  the 
infidels. 


78  RICHARD    I.      CCEUR    DE    LION. 

Jerusalem  being  again  in  the  hands  of  the 
Turks,  the  Christians  again  solicited  its  deliver- 
ance. 

Richard  united  his  endeavors  with  Philip, 
King  of  France,  in  this  holy  cause.  It  is  said, 
that  the  third  Crusade  was  the  only  military  ex- 
pedition in  which  a  king  of  England  and  a  king 
of  France  ever  fought  under  the  same  banners. 
Richard,  by  every  means  in  his  power,  com- 
pelled his  subjects  to  assist  him  with  money 
and  soldiers. 

Valiant  and  enthusiastic,  he  too  often  resort- 
ed to  oppressive  and  violent  measures  ;  so  that 
a  clergyman,  incensed  at  his  tyranny,  advised 
him  to  part  with  his  three  daughters,  Pride, 
Avarice,  and  Love  of  Pleasure.  The  King  gaily 
replied :  "  You  are  right,  my  friend.  I  have  al- 
ready provided  husbands  for  them  all.  I  will 
give  my  pride  to  the  lawyers  ;  my  avarice  to  the 
monks  ;  and  my  love  of  pleasure  to  the  clergy." 

The  monarchs  of  England  and  France,  and 
their  armies,  met  on  the  borders  of  Burgundy, 
and  afterward  took  shipping,  one  at  Genoa,  the 
other  at  Marseilles.  Overtaken  by  storms,  they 
found  shelter  in  the  island  of  Sicily,  and  there 
some  disagreements  occurred  between  them. 
These  were,  however,  made  up,  and  at  last  the 
armies  arrived  at  Palestine. 


RICHARD    I.       CCEUR    DE    LION.  79 

The  city  of  Acre  was  taken  ;  and  Philip,  per- 
haps disgusted  at  finding  himself  outdone  in 
valorous  acts  by  Richard,  returned  to  France, 
leaving  some  troops  under  the  command  of  the 
Duke  of  Burgundy.  The  English  King  gained 
many  advantages,  and  took  the  city  of  Ascalon 
from  the  warlike  Sultan.  He  was  not  so  fortu- 
nate in  his  proposed  attack  on  Jerusalem,  the 
siege  of  which  he  found  himself  unable  to  pros- 
ecute. He  had  lost  many  of  his  best  soldiers  ; 
and  those  who  remained  were  weakened  from 
fatigue  and  want  of  food. 

Saladin  willingly  consented  to  a  truce  for 
three  years,  and  agreed  to  yield  some  points  to 
the  Christians.  This  mighty  warrior  and  the 
English  monarch  did  not  swear  to  the  perform- 
ance of  the  articles  of  their  treaty.  It  is  very 
truly  remarked,*  that  "  an  oath  must  always 
imply  a  suspicion  of  falsehood  and  dishonor." 
The  sovereigns  simply  gave  their  word ;  and 
why  should  not  a  simple  assertion  be  always  a 
sufficient  bond  between  man  and  man  ?  For  the 
lowliest  can  be  as  faithful  to  truth  as  the  might- 
iest ;  and  to  be  false  and  treacherous  is  as  great 
a  crime  in  the  meanest  as  the  noblest 

Saladin  died  a  few  months  after  this  truce, 
and  Richard  set  sail  for  his  native  country. 
*  Gibbon. 


80  RICHARD    I.       CCEUR    DE    LION. 

Arrived  in  Italy,  he  proceeded  overland  through 
Germany  ;  for  he  feared  the  resentment  of  the 
jealous  Philip  :  but  he  was  stopped  at  Vienna 
by  Leopold,  Duke  of  Austria,  who,  being  affront- 
ed by  Richard's  conduct  toward  him  at  the 
siege  of  Acre,  basely  took  advantage  of  this  op- 
portunity of  oppressing  the  man  he  hated. 

Henry  VI.  Emperor  of  Germany,  dishonor- 
ably seconded  the  measures  of  Leopold ;  and, 
loaded  with  fetters,  Richard  was  thrown  into  a 
dungeon. 

The  intercourse  between  distant  countries  was 
not  expedited,  as  now,  by  post  and  packets.  It 
was  long  before  the  people  of  England  knew  of 
the  imprisonment  of  their  sovereign,  and  of  the 
large  ransom  required  for  his  liberation.  A 
minstrel  is  said  to  have  discovered  the  place  of 
his  confinement ;  for,  accidentally  playing  a 
tune  near  the  fortress  in  which  the  King  was 
immured,  he  heard  the  voice  of  Richard  respond- 
ing to  the  well-known  air. 

Prince  John  endeavored  to  prevent  the  libe- 
ration of  his  brother  ;  but,  the  people  melting 
down  the  plate  of  the  monasteries,  and  produ- 
cing all  their  coin,  the  enormous  sum  demanded 
was  at  length  collected,  and  Richard  was  set  at 
liberty.  It  is  said  the  unworthy  Emperor  re- 
pented of  having  released  his  royal  captive,  and 


FOURTH    CRUSADE.  81 

despatched  soldiers  to  overtake  him,  but  this 
base  design  was  not  accomplished ;  Richard 
was  in  a  vessel,  and  out  of  sight  of  land,  when 
his  pursuers  reached  Antwerp,  the  place  of  his 
embarkation. 

At  the  request  of  his  mother,  he  forgave  the 
plotting  John,  saying,  "  I  forgive  him ;  and 
wish  I  could  as  easily  forget  his  offences  as  he 
will  forget  my  pardon." 

A  rebellion  of  his  subjects  on  the  continent 
drew  Richard  from  England,  and  he  was  severe- 
ly wounded  when  besieging  the  castle  of  Cha- 
lus. 

Surgery  was  not  so  well  understood  as  now  ; 
for  it  has  been  thought  that  the  King's  life 
might  have  been  saved,  had  his  wound  been 
properly  treated ;  for  want  of  this,  Richard 
died,  in  the  tenth  year  of  his  reign,  and  forty- 
second  of  his  age,  bequeathing  his  kingdom  to 
his  brother  John. 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 


FOURTH    CRUSADE. 


ABOUT  three  years  after  the  death  of  Rich- 
ard, the  Pope  announced  the  necessity  of  another 


82  FOURTH    CRUSADE. 

Crusade.  Baldwin,  count  of  Flanders,  -was  the 
leader  of  this  fourth  expedition.  With  some 
other  noble  warriors,  he  proceeded  to  Venice,  to 
solicit  the  aid  of  that  rich  and  powerful  re- 
public. 

The  Venetians  were  not  only  great  as  mer- 
chants ;  they  were  also  celebrated  for  possessing 
a  fine  fleet.  The  chief  magistrate  was  called 
the  Doge ;  and  was  elected  by  the  votes  of  a 
general  assembly.  To  him  Baldwin  and  his 
friends  applied  for  assistance  ;  and  by  him  and 
his  council  their  suit  was  heard  and  granted. 

The  republic  of  Venice  liberally  assisted  the 
Christian  princes ;  and  a  numerous  and  well- 
filled  fleet  sailed  from  her  port.  Constantinople 
was  then  distracted  by  civil  war;  and  it  was 
determined  that  the  taking  of  this  city  should 
be  a  prelude  to  the  siege  of  Jerusalem. 

After  an  interesting  siege,  in  which  Dandolo, 
the  blind  and  aged  Doge  of  Venice,  conspicuously 
shone,  Constantinople  was  taken  by  the  Vene- 
tians and  their  French  allies. 

The  young  Alexius  and  his  father,  the  vene- 
rable Isaac  Angelus,  were  placed  on  the  throne, 
from  which  they  had  been  driven  by  the  brother 
of  Isaac,  Alexius  Angelus,  the  tyrant,  who  es- 
caped in  a  small  vessel. 

The  son  of  Angelus  enjoyed  only  a  short 


FOURTH    CRUSADE.  83 

reign.  He  was  attacked  in  his  becUroom  by  his 
chamberlain,  Murtzuphlus,  a  wretch  in  whom 
he  had  confided,  and  who,  under  pretence  of 
saving  him  from  a  conspiracy,  inveigled  him 
into  a  prison,  and  loaded  him  with  chains.  After 
being  kept  for  some  days  in  this  wretched  situa- 
tion, it  is  said,  he  was  beaten  to  death  with  clubs, 
in  the  presence  of  the  trait<3r. 

Isaac  soon  followed  his  son  to  the  grave  ;  and 
the  usurper  drew  upon  himself  the  forces  of  the 
allied  princes.  The  Venetians  again  joined  the 
armament,  and,  Constantinople  being  wrested 
from  the  grasp  of  the  perfidious  Murtzuphlus, 
Baldwin,  count  of  Flanders,  was  proclaimed  its 
Emperor. 

Murtzuphlus,  the  assassin  of  his  confiding 
prince,  met  with  the  fate  he  deserved.  Some 
pretended  friends  of  his,  punishing  treachery  by 
treachery,  seized  him  in  his  bath,  put  out  his 
.eyes,  robbed  him  of  his  ill-gotten  power  and 
riches,  and  drove  him  forth  to  wander  alone, 
despised  and  neglected.  He  was  soon  after  taken 
by  the  Latins,  and  carried  to  Constantinople, 
where  he  was  condemned  to  a  cruel  death.  He 
was  carried  to  the  top  of  the  Theodosian  column, 
a  pillar  of  white  marble,  147  feet  high,  and  cast 
headlong  to  the  ground.  Of  course  he  was 


84  JOHN  (LACKLAND). 

dashed  to  pieces,  and  a  crowd  of  spectators 
witnessed  the  event. 

The  Crusade,  you  have  seen,  was  thus  diverted 
from  its  original  purpose  ;  only  a  few  knights 
reached  Jerusalem ;  and  the  Christians  of  Pa- 
lestine were  left  to  groan  in  unrelieved  oppres- 
sion. 

The  Saracens  continued  to  possess  Jerusalem 
in  undisturbed  power ;  and  Constantinople  was 
the  prize  gained  by  the  French  and  Venetians. 


CHAPTER   XIX. 
JOHN  (LACKLAND). 

RICHARD  bequeathed  the  crown  of  England 
to  his  brother  John  ;  but  he  had  no  right  to  do 
so,  because  John's  eldest  brother,  Geoffrey,  had 
left  a  son,  named  Arthur. 

John,  however,  profited  by  this  improper  will ; 
and,  by  an  act  of  injustice,  doomed  himself  to  a 
life  of  turbulence  and  strife. 

Philip,  King  of  France,  supported  the  claim 
of  Arthur,  then  a  fine  boy,  twelve  years  of  age. 
After  a  short  struggle,  Arthur  and  his  mother 
Constance,  thinking  Philip  fought  more  for  his 
own  aggrandizement  than  for  theirs,  put  them- 
selves under  the  protection  of  John. 


TRUE  STOUIKS. 


PKINCE   ABTliUIJ   AND    HUBERT.  Page  ST>. 


JOHN  (LACKLAND).  85 

This  king  had,  however,  so  offended  his  sub- 
jects, by  marrying  a  lady  while  her  husband 
and  his  own  wife  were  alive,  that  it  was  con- 
jectured he  began  to  fear  Arthur  might  gain 
friends  as  he  lost  them.  Constance,  therefore, 
fled  with  her  son.  She  escaped ;  but  Arthur 
was  taken  prisoner  by  his  uncle,  and  never  heard 
of  more.  How  he  died  is  not  positively  known  ; 
but  it  was  reported,  and  is  believed,  that  the 
poor  youth  was  murdered  in  prison,  some  say, 
by  John  himself ;  and  this  is  their  story  :  the 
king  had  desired  some  persons  might  be  found 
to  destroy  the  prince  ;  Hubert,  his  chamberlain, 
offered  to  execute  the  deed,  but  made  the  offer 
only  that  he  might  save  the  innocent  child. 
John,  having  discovered  Hubert's  mercy,  re- 
solved to  make  himself  sure  of  Arthur's  death, 
by  perpetrating  it  with  his  own  hand.  He  had 
the  prince  carried  to  a  castle  near  Rouen,  in 
Normandy,  and  at  midnight  went  down  the  river 
Seine  to  the  place.  Arthur,  alarmed  by  this 
late  visit  and  the  ferocious  looks  of  his  uncle, 
saw  his  danger  and  besought  his  life.  As  he 
knelt  imploring  mercy,  the  tyrant,  without 
speaking  a  word,  stabbed  him  to  the  heart ,  and, 
fastening  heavy  stones  to  his  body,  threw  it  into 
the  river. 

This  is  the  common  account :  when  you  grow 

H 


86  JOHN  (LACKLAND). 

older,  and  have  read  history,  you  can  better 
judge  how  far  it  is  likely  to  be  true.  John's 
subjects  believed  that  the  murder  happened  as 
here  described,  and  hated  him  for  the  bloody 
deed.  They  afterward  despised  him  for  the 
weakness  of  his  conduct. 

The  Pope,  Innocent  III.,  presumed  to  name  a 
cardinal,  Stephen  Langton,  to  be  archbishop  of 
Canterbury,  in  opposition  to  the  wishes  of  the 
King,  who  had  selected  another  person.  The 
Pope  announced  this  nomination  in  a  plausible 
letter,  accompanied  by  four  gold  rings,  desiring 
him  to  consider  the  nature  of  the  present. 

He  insinuated  that  the  rings,  being  round, 
signified  eternity,  for  which  he  must  prepare. 
The  number  represented  the  four  cardinal  vir- 
tues,* which  he  must  practise.  The  material, 
being  gold,  the  most  precious  of  the  metals,  de- 
noted wisdom,  the  most  precious  acquirement. 
Their  color  was  thus  explained  :  the  emerald's 
green,  faith  ;  the  sapphire's  yellow,  hope  ;  the 
ruby's  red,  charity ;  the  topaz,  good  works. 

John  persisted  in  his  choice,  and  the  Pope 
put  him  and  his  kingdom  under  the  sentence  of 
an  interdict.  This  sentence  stopped  all  religious 
services  ;  and,  being  followed  by  excommunica- 

*  Justice,  Temperance,  Fortitude,  and  Prudence. 


JOHN  (LACKLAND).  87 

tion,  completed  the  dismay  of  the  nation  and 
the  unpopularity  of  the  King. 

He  increased  in  violence  and  cruelty  as  he 
diminished  in  power,  and  performed  several 
cruel  and  tyrannical  actions. 

The  Pope  next  absolved  the  English  from 
their  oath  of  allegiance  to  their  sovereign.  It 
is  always  supposed  that  the  subjects  of  the  reign- 
ing monarch  are  bound  to  serve  and  obey  him 
in  all  lawful  commands  ;  therefore,  though  they 
may  not  have  sworn  to  do  so,  yet  such  a  vow 
is  implied,  by  their  consenting  to  his  becoming 
their  sovereign.  You  may  guess  what  disor- 
ders must  follow  the  dissolution  of  all  bonds 
between  the  ruler  and  the  ruled.  Innocent 
completed  the  ruin  of  John's  government  by 
giving  the  crown  of  England  to  Philip,  King  of 
France.  How  unbounded  at  that  time  were  the 
prerogatives  of  the  holy  Pontiff ! 

Philip  II.,  King  of  France  at  this  juncture, 
was  surnamed  Augustus,  on  account  of  his  great 
exploits.  He  had  succeeded  his  father  Louis 
VII.  at  the  age  of  fifteen,  and  was  one  of  the 
greatest  soldiers  that  ever  governed  France. 
In  war,  he  directed  everything  himself ;  and  in 
peace,  he  allowed  himself  no  kind  of  luxury. 
Before  a  battle,  he  was  calm  and  prudent ;  but 
in  the  midst  of  it,  terrible  as  a  lion.  After  a 


88  JOHN  (LACKLAND). 

victory,  he  was  most  humane  to  his  prisoners  ; 
and  his  own  soldiers  idolized  him. 

During  the  whole  of  his  reign,  many  dread- 
ful wars  raged  all  over  Europe,  in  which  he  was 
constantly  engaged  ;  and,  though  his  enemies 
were  very  numerous,  yet,  through  his  valor  and 
good  fortune,  he  was  always  a  conqueror. 

Otho  IV.,  Emperor  of  Germany,  John,  the 
wicked  King  of  England,  who,  as  we  have  seen, 
had  murdered  his  nephew  Prince  Arthur,  and 
the  Count  of  Flanders,  united  in  a  war  against 
Philip  ;  and  they  made  themselves  so  sure  of 
conquering  him,  from  the  numbers  of  their 
troops,  that  they  had  even  determined  how  they 
would  divide  his  kingdom  among  them.  They 
had  an  army  of  150,000  men,  and  Philip  only 
60,000  ;  notwithstanding  which,  he  gained  a 
complete  victory  over  them,  in  the  plain  of  Bou- 
vines,  on  the  27th  of  July,  1214.  It  was  a  most 
desperate  battle,  and  both  armies  distinguished 
themselves  on  that  day  by  their  bravery  and 
determination  not  to  yield  :  every  nobleman  and 
every  soldier  displayed  the  most  heroic  valor ; 
and,  among  others,  Philip  de  Dreux,  bishop 
of  Beauvais,  was  particularly  remarked  by  the 
havoc  he  made  among  the  enemy ;  for  he 
knocked  down  the  English  general  with  an  iron 
club,  with  which  he  killed  all  who  came  within 


JOHN  (LACKLAND).  89 

his  reach  ;  and  he  chose  this  method,  because, 
as  a  bishop,  he  pretended  to  abhor  the  shedding 
of  human  blood,  though  his  victims  died  from 
the  violence  of  the  blow.  King  Philip  was  him- 
self the  bravest  and  most  skilful  knight  in  his 
army,  showing  the  genius  of  a  general  and  the 
courage  of  a  hero.  He  received  a  wound  in  his 
throat  from  a  lance,  and  his  horse  was  killed 
under  him.  Thrown  down  under  the  feet  of 
the  horses,  he  rose  more  terrible  than  ever,  and, 
mounting  another  horse,  he  put  himself  at  the 
head  of  a  troop  of  cavalry  which  had  flown  to 
his  assistance,  and  charged  a  squadron  of  Ger- 
mans, in  the  midst  of  which  was  the  Emperor 
himself.  This  prince,  thrown  from  his  horse, 
was  on  the  point  of  being  made  prisoner  ;  but 
his  soldiers,  arriving  in  crowds  to  protect  him, 
opened  a  way  for  him  to  escape  ;  he  got  on  horse- 
back again  in  haste,  and  saved  himself  by  a  pre- 
cipitate flight.  Philip,  seeing  him  set  off"  at 
full  gallop,  could  not  help  smiling,  and  said  to 
the  nobles  who  were  near  him :  "  My  friends, 
we  shall  see  no  more  of  him  than  his  back  this 
day."  The  flight  of  the  Emperor  was  the  signal 
of  defeat ;  the  French  pursued  his  troops,  and 
made  a  great  slaughter  of  them.  In  this  man- 
ner Philip  conquered  and  dispersed  the  most 
formidable  army  that  had  appeared  against 
8 


90  JOHN  (LACKLAND). 

France  for  an  age.  The  number  of  dead  on  the 
field  was  immense  ;  and  it  is  said  that  more  than 
half  of  the  enemy's  troops  were  killed.  Philip 
then  marched  to  Paris,  which  he  entered  in  tri- 
umph. The  counts  of  Flanders  and  Boulogne, 
who  were  the  most  violent  of  his  foes,  were  ta- 
ken prisoners,  and  followed  the  triumphal  car 
of  the  conqueror ;  after  which  they  were  both 
confined  in  the  large  tower  of  the  Louvre.  The 
Louvre,  which  was  partly  rebuilt  by  King  Louis 
XIV.,  was  then  a  sort  of  citadel,  situated  at 
the  entrance  into  Paris,  upon  the  banks  of  the 
river,  surrounded  by  large  moats  or  ditches,  and 
flanked  by  towers.  The  large  tower,  which 
Philip  Augustus  built,  but  which  was  after- 
ward pulled  down  by  Francis  I.,  stood  by  itself, 
in  the  middle  of  the  court  and  in  the  centre  of 
the  whole  building,  the  apartments  of  which  it 
made  still  more  gloomy  and  dark.  The  Louvre 
now  forms,  in  connection  with  the  Tuilleries,  one 
of  the  many  fine  palaces  belonging  to  the  Kings 
of  France. 

It  was  this  Philip  to  whom  the  Pope  gave  the 
English  crown  ;  but  this  was  only  done  to  fright- 
en John  ;  for,  when  Philip  proposed  to  take  pos- 
session of  his  new  kingdom,  the  Pope  interfered, 
and,  finding  he  had  brought  John  to  due  sub- 
mission, sent  over  a  legate,  Pandolph,  to  accom- 


JOHN  (LACKLAND).  91 

inodate  matters.  John  was  now  willing  to 
submit  to  any  concessions.  He  made  Langton 
the  primate ;  paid  a  large  tribute  ;  solemnly 
gave  up  his  kingdom  to  the  Pope  ;  and,  humbly 
kneeling,  received  his  crown  back  as  a  gift. 

Thus  humbled,  but  not  amended,  John  con- 
tinued to  be  despised  by  his  people,  and  to 
harass  and  oppress  them.  The  barons,  at  length, 
worn  out  by  the  injustice,  weakness,  and  vio- 
lence of  their  monarch,  roused  their  vassals, 
and  collected  an  army.  At  first,  they  were 
willing  to  expostulate,  and  come  to  an  amicable 
settlement,  without  shedding  blood ;  but,  find- 
ing John  deaf  to  their  remonstrances,  they  un- 
sheathed their  swords,  and  resolved  to  gain  by 
force  that  justice  which  reason  could  not  pro- 
cure. 

The  kingdom  was  now  ravaged  by  civil  war, 
until  the  King,  finding  himself  deserted  by  all 
ranks,  at  length  consented  to  listen  to  terms  of 
accommodation. 

On  the  19th  of  June,  1215,  he  signed,  at 
Runnimede,  near  Windsor,  that  famous  charter, 
entitled  "  Magna  Charta,"  which  is  considered 
as  the  corner-stone  of  English  liberty.*  This 
bill  confirmed  certain  privileges  to  the  clergy, 

*  Magna  Charta.  or  The  Great  Charter,  was  so  called  to 
distinguish  it  from  all  others. 


92  THE    INQUISITION    ESTABLISHED. 

the  barons,  and  the  gentry,  limited  in  some  de- 
gree the  King's  power,  and  paved  the  way  for 
the  greater  freedom  of  the  lower  classes. 

John  was  not  long  pacific  ;  he  was  again  em- 
broiled with  his  nobles.  Louis,  son  of  the  King 
of  France,  landed  with  an  army  against  him ; 
and  he  was  about  to  make  one  great  effort  for 
the  preservation  of  his  dominion,  when,  after 
being  deprived  of  all  his  treasures  and  baggage 
by  the  rising  of  the  tides,  as  he  passed  along 
the  coast  of  Lincolnshire,  he  died  at  Newark,  of 
an  illness  caused  by  despair  and  fatigue,  aged 
forty-nine. 

In  his  reign,  London  obtained  the  privilege 
of  having  and  electing  a  mayor  and  other  ma- 
gistrates ;  that  is,  it  then  became  a  corporation. 


CHAPTER  XX. 

THE    INQUISITION    ESTABLISHED. 

I  HAVE  told  you  of  various  institutions :  I 
have  now  to  describe  one,  which  was  made  the 
instrument  of  extensive  authority  and  of  most 
shameful  despotism.  You  will  have  perceived 
how  the  popes  and  the  clergy  gradually  increas- 
ed in  consequence  and  dominion,  wealth  and 


THE    INQ.UISITION.  93 

honors  ;  you  will  therefore  be  prepared  to  hear 
that  they  asserted  and  confirmed  their  power 
by  every  means  they  could  devise. 

The  inhabitants  of  Alby,  in  the  Pays  de 
Vaud  (a  province  of  Switzerland,)  presumed  to 
avow  religious  opinions  contrary  to  the  Catho- 
lic church.  The  Pope,  as  the  peculiar  head  of 
the  Catholic  church,  established  a  commission 
to  try  and  punish  these  heretics.  A  crusade 
was  sent  against  the  Albigenses,  for  so  were 
these  people  called ;  and  Simon  de  Montford 
was  its  leader. 

The  tribunal  instituted  to  judge  these  dis- 
senters from  the  Catholic  religion  was  found  so 
useful,  and  so  likely  to  extend  and  confirm  the 
papal  authority,  that  Pope  Innocent  III.  ren- 
dered it  a  permanent  establishment,  under  the 
name  of  the  Inquisition.  Thus  it  became  a 
perpetual  court,  to  try  all  offenders  against  the 
church  and  the  clergy. 

St.  Dominic,  a  monk,  the  founder  of  the  order 
of  Dominicans,  was  allowed,  with  his  followers, 
to  control  and  have  the  principal  management 
of  this  new  tribunal. 

Pope  Innocent  III.  was  the  pontiff  who  not 
only  sanctioned  the  foundation  of  the  institu- 
tion, but  established  its  perpetual  authority. 
"  The  Inquisition,"  or  "  Holy  Office,"  long  held 


94  THE     INQUISITION. 

the  minds  of  men  in  slavery  and  awe.  Its  laws 
were  despotic,  its  power  unquestioned,  its  de- 
crees unhesitatingly  obeyed.  The  accused  were 
seized  in  the  midst  of  their  families  and  friends  ; 
not  one  arm  was  raised,  not  one  word  was  ut- 
tered, to  rescue  them.  The  most  prominent 
blemish  in  an  institution,  in  which  every  part 
was  faulty,  was,  that  the  accused  was  never 
confronted  with  his  accuser,  was  never  told  who 
had  informed  against  him  ;  hence,  the  evil- 
minded  and  revengeful  could,  by  a  few  words  of 
whispered  malice,  cause  the  imprisonment,  and 
perhaps  the  death,  of  the  innocent  and  happy. 
Nay,  sometimes  the  accused  never  discovered 
what  they  were  suspected  of ;  all  justification 
was  therefore  impossible. 

The  head  of  this  new  court  was  the  "  Inqui- 
sitor-General," who  acknowledged  no  other  su- 
perior than  the  Pope.  The  name  of  the  tribu- 
nal explains  its  office,  to  inquire  for,  and  dis- 
cover, all  offenders.  As  soon  as  detected,  the 
unhappy  person  was  secretly  and  forcibly  drag- 
ged from  his  home  and  his  family,  thrust  into  a 
damp  dark  cell,  tried  in  the  dead  of  night,  and 
punished  by  torture,  imprisonment,  flagellation, 
or  death,  according  to  the  will  of  his  merciless 
judge,  the  Inquisitor-general. 

The  faults  that  drew  down  this  mysterious 


THE     INQUISITION .  95 

and  merciless  condemnation  were  sometimes 
very  trivial ;  a  few  words  carelessly  spoken 
against  the  clergy,  an  unintentional  incivility 
to  an  officer  of  the  holy  office,  &c. 

Numbers  of  human  beings  were  annually  hur- 
ried from  their  friends,  without  the  shortest  no- 
tice ;  and  if  they  ever  emerged  from  their  secret 
dungeons,  it  was  generally  after  long  captivity 
and  severe  sufferings,  weakened  in  body  and  in 
mind :  melancholy  evidences  of  the  detestable 
system  under  which  they  had  been  groaning. 

The  first  courts  of  Inquisition  were  establish- 
ed in  Italy."  Afterward,  Spain  and  Portugal 
were  disgraced  and  gloomed  by  institutions  of 
the  same  kind.  In  those  barbarous  times,  when 
one  half  the  people  were  cunning,  and  the  other 
half  ignorant,  and  all  were  comparatively  un- 
refined, such  horrid  tribunals  were  not  so  much 
to  be  wondered  at ;  but,  I  regret  to  say,  in  Spain 
there  are  persons  friendly  to  this  institution  at 
the  present  moment,  desirous,  should  they  come 
into  power,  to  re-establish  the  Inquisition. 

The  procession  of  the  "  Auto  da  Fe  "  was  a 
horrible  and  imposing  spectacle.  The  poor 
wretches  condemned  to  death  by  the  Inquisi- 
tion appeared  clothed  in  a  strange  and  terrific 
garb  :  the  Inquisitor-general,  richly  attired,  and 
seated  on  a  white  horse,  surrounded  by  nobles, 


HE 


96  THE     INQUISITION. 

attended  the  unhappy  culprits;  monks,  fami- 
liars, and  various  officers,  also  followed  in  the 
train. 

The  whole  procession  moved  slowly  forward 
to  the  place  of  execution,  the  bell  of  the  cathe- 
dral mournfully  tolling,  and  crowds  of  persons 
of  both  sexes  attentively  watching  the  melan- 
choly scene. 

Arrived  at  the  appointed  place,  some  of  the 
devoted  sufferers  were  strangled,  and  then 
burnt ;  whilst  others  were  more  cruelly  burnt 
alive ;  the  mob  shouting  and  approving  the 
severity  of  their  inhuman  rulers. 

Hideous  and  exquisitely  painful  as  must  have 
been  the  sufferings  of  the  condemned,  yet  their 
previous  misery  must  have  been  almost  greater. 
Imagine  a  solitary  wretch,  immured  perhaps  for 
years  in  a  small  dark  dungeon,  a  bundle  of 
rushes  his  only  bed,  bread  and  water  his  only 
food :  perhaps  ignorant  of  his  crime,  certainly 
uninformed  of  his  accusers  :  not  only  without 
friends,  but  surrounded  with  hideous-looking 
men,  who  were  doing  all  in  their  power  to  alarm 
and  terrify  him :  with  a  body  wasted  by  con- 
finement and  bad  food,  not  unfrequently  lace- 
rated by  torture  and  various  inflictions. 

This  is  no  exaggerated  picture  of  a  prisoner 
of  the  Inquisition. 


HENRY    III. 


97 


You  will  not  easily  forget  under  what  Pope 
this  tribunal  was  erected.  It  was  the  most 
iniquitous  that  ever  existed ;  but  the  pontiff 
who  established  it  assumed  the  name  of  Pope 
Innocent  III.;  a  curious  and  remarkable  mis- 
nomer ! 


CHAPTER  XXL 

HENRY    III. 

PRINCE  Henry,  the  son  of  John,  succeeded  his 
father  when  he  was  only  nine  years  old.  Louis 
of  France  was  defeated  and  driven  from  the 
island,  and  Henry  III.  proclaimed  King. 

In  his  reign,  the  first  parliament,  properly  so 
called,  was  assembled.  You  often  hear  of  the 
parliament,  and  you  know  that  it  is  a  meeting 
of  gentlemen  and  noblemen,  who  assemble  to 
consider  what  must  be  done  for  the  good  of  the 
nation.  They  make  laws,  which  are  written 
down,  and  are  called  "  Acts  of  Parliament." 
The  Magna  Charta,  which  John  signed,  and 
which  his  son  Henry  III.  confirmed,  was  the 
first  of  these  written  laws. 

There  are  two  rooms  in  Westminster,  near 
the  Abbey,  which  are  called  the  two  houses  of 
i  9 


98  HENRY    III. 

parliament.  In  one  of  these,  the  dukes,  mar- 
quises, earls,  viscounts,  barons,  and  bishops 
meet,  and  it  is  therefore  called  the  House  of 
Lords,  or  Peers.  In  the  other  apartment,  the 
wealthy  and  respectable  gentlemen,  chosen  by 
counties  and  towns  for  their  members,  assemble ; 
hence  it  is  called  the  House  of  Commons.  All 
the  people  of  the  kingdom  could  not  go  to  Lon- 
don to  transact  public  business  ;  they  therefore 
send  some  opulent  and  sensible  person  to  act 
for  them.  Thus  every  county  sends  its  mem- 
bers, and  almost  every  large  town  does  the 
same.  These  members  are  therefore  considered 
as  the  representatives  of  the  people. 

The  parliament  meets  every  year,  and  the 
same  members  keep  their  seats  during  one  par- 
liament. A  parliament  cannot  last  more  than 
seven  years  ;  but  the  King  can  dissolve  it  when- 
ever he  pleases.  This  assembly  consists  of 
three  estates  ;  that  is,  the  lords  temporal  (dukes 
and  earls,  &c.) ;  the  lords  spiritual  (archbishops 
and  bishops) ;  and  the  commons,  or  gentlemen. 
The  King  is  deemed  the  head  of  all,  and  sits  on 
a  throne  in  the  House  of  Lords.* 

Before  an  act,  or  law,  can  be  established,  it 
must  be  approved  by  the  King,  the  Lords,  and 
the  Commons  ;  without  this  general  consent  no 
*  Blackstone. 


HENRY    III.  99 

act  is  completed.  When  money  is  to  be  raised, 
for  the  paying  of  soldiers,  &c.,  or  any  new  loan 
is  desired,  the  members  of  the  House  of  Com- 
mons first  debate  the  matter,  and  determine  the 
amount  of  the  sum  and  the  means  by  which  it 
shall  be  raised.  They  then  send  to  inform  the 
House  of  Lords  of  what  they  think  ought  to  be 
done.  The  lords  consider  the  affair,  and  if  they 
also  approve  of  it,  the  bill,  as  it  is  called,  is  sent 
to  the  King  for  his  approbation.  It  is  curious 
that  the  King's  decision  is  always  expressed  in 
the  French  language.  If  he  consents,  the  clerk 
of  the  parliament  declares  aloud,  "  Le  Toy  le 
veut"  the  King  wills  it ;  or  "  Soit  fait  comme  il 
est  desire"  be  it  as  it  is  desired.  If  the  King 
does  not  assent,  his  refusal  is  graciously  ex- 
pressed thus :  "  Le  roy  s'avisera"  the  King 
will  consider  it.  The  royal  assent  to  a  money 
bill  is  yet  more  courteous :  "  Le  roy  remercie 
ses  loyaux  sujets,  accept e  lew  benevolence,  et 
aussi  le  veut  ;"*  the  King  thanks  his  loyal  sub- 
jects, accepts  their  benevolence,  and  wills  it  so 
to  be. 

Henry  was  mild  and  yielding ;  and  his  barons 
took  advantage  of  his  gentleness  of  temper. 
One  of  them,  Simon  de  Montfort,  Earl  of  Lei- 
cester, headed  an  army  against  him,  and  took 
*  Blackstone, 


100  HENRY   III. 

him  and  his  son  Edward  prisoners.  The  young 
prince  contrived  to  escape  by  an  ingenious 
stratagem.  When  riding  out  with  his  guards, 
he  proposed  that  they  should  run  races  for 
amusement,  whilst  he  only  looked  on.  Thus 
the  horses  of  the  guards  became  fatigued  and 
out  of  breath,  while  Edward's  horse  was  fresh 
and  unwearied.  Now  this  horse  was  remark- 
able for  its  swiftness.  The  prince,  watching 
his  opportunity,  bade  his  guards  farewell,  arid 
galloped  away.  Their  tired  horses  could  not 
overtake  the  fleet  steed  of  Edward,  and  there- 
fore he  was  soon  out  of  their  reach. 

He  made  good  use  of  his  freedom  ;  for,  join- 
ing his  friends,  he  soon  appeared  with  a  fine 
army  against  the  rebel  lords.  Leicester,  aston- 
ished at  the  spirit  and  activity  of  the  young 
prince,  called  out,  on  beholding  his  army, 
"  Heaven  have  mercy  on  our  souls  !  for  our 
bodies,  I  see,  are  doomed  to  destruction."  He, 
however,  did  all  in  his  power,  as  all  wise  and 
brave  men  do,  to  retrieve  his  fortune. 

One  of  his  arrangements  was  very  cruel ;  for 
he  obliged  Henry  to  put  on  armor,  and  fight 
against  his  own  son.  The  feeble  old  King  was 
placed  in  the  front  of  the  battle,  and  was  soon 
wounded.  A  soldier  was  on  the  point  of  killing 
him  (for  the  helmet  and  other  parts  of  armor 


HENRY    III.  101 

almost  entirely  cover  the  face,  and  disguise  the 
figure) ;  but  Henry,  seeing  his  danger,  cried 
out,  "  I  am  Henry  of  Winchester,  your  King !" 
Prince  Edward  happened  to  be  valorously  fight- 
ing near  the  spot,  and,  recognizing  the  voice  of 
his  father,  instantly  hastened  to  his  relief. 
He  arrived  in  time  to  rescue  him,  and  bore  him 
in  safety  to  his  own  camp.  Leicester  was 
killed,  and  his  troops  were  put  to  flight.  Ed- 
ward thus  not  only  preserved  his  father's  life, 
but  restored  him  to  liberty  and  dominion. 

It  is  pleasant  to  talk  of  the  virtuous  and  the 
brave  ;  the  young  prince  not  only  reduced  the 
barons  to  submission,  but  afterward  gave  a 
charming  instance  of  mercy  and  self-command. 

In  a  contest  with  a  powerful  rebel,  Adam 
Gordon,  he  was  led  on  by  his  ardor  and  prow- 
ess to  the  enemy's  camp,  and,  leaping  the 
trenches  that  encircled  it,  found  himself  with  a 
few  followers  amidst  many  foes.  Gordon  in- 
stantly distinguished  and  attacked  his  royal  an- 
tagonist ;  a  single  combat  ensued,  during  which, 
the  rebel's  foot  slipping,  he  fell,  and  lay  at  the 
mercy  of  his  prince.  Edward  scorned  to  take 
advantage  of  an  unlucky  accident,  or  to  stain 
his  sword  with  the  blood  of  a  fallen  enemy.  He  t 
checked  his  ardor,  stayed  his  uplifted  arm,  and 
bade  his  vanquished  adversary  "  Live  !"  This 


102  ZINGIS   KHAN, 

was  truly  heroic  ;  for  it  showed  that  Edward 
could  govern  himself,  and  that  his  nature  was 
merciful  as  well  as  courageous. 

This  gallant  prince  had  just  sailed  with  an 
army  to  join  the  fifth  Crusade,  under  Louis 
King  of  France,  when  his  father  died.  Henry 
III.  reigned  fifty-six  years  ;  the  longest  reign 
of  any  English  monarch,  except  the  late  King 
George  III.  You  can  easily  remember  which 
Henry  reigned  so  long,  by  recollecting  that  he, 
as  well  as  the  late  King,  was  the  third  of  his 
name. 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

ZINGIS    KHAN,    THE    TARTAR    CHIEF. 

WHEN  Henry  III.  became  King  of  England, 
an  Emperor  of  Constantinople,  called  Peter  De 
Courtenay,  ruled  in  that  famed  city.  The  pre- 
sent family  of  Courtenay,  of  Devonshire,  Eng- 
land, are  descendants  of  this  French  Emperor 
of  Constantinople,  being  a  branch  from  the  first 
Earl  of  Devonshire,  Hugh  De  Courtenay.* 

Not  very  long  after  the  death  of  this  Emperor 
Peter,  and  in  the  reign  of  his  son,  Baldwin  II., 

*  Gibbon. 


THE    TARTAR    CHIEF.  103 

Constantinople  fell  again  under  the  dominion 
of  a  Greek  Emperor,  and  the  French  and  Vene- 
tians were  driven  from  a  throne  which  they  had 
conquered  and  enjoyed. 

You  will  perhaps  have  remarked,  that  some 
warlike  chief,  or  warlike  nation,  was  always  rul- 
ing and  desolating  the  world.  Alexander  and 
his  Macedonians ;  Hannibal  and  his  Carthagi- 
nians ;  the  Romans,  under  their  various  gene- 
rals ;  Alaric  the  Goth ;  Attila  the  Hun  ;  Char- 
lemagne and  his  brave  Franks  ;  the  Saracens, 
headed  by  daring  chiefs. 

You  will  now  have  to  observe  a  hitherto  un- 
noticed race  changing  the  destiny  of  empires 
and  states. 

You  have  heard  of  the  Turks,  a  northern 
tribe  of  barbarians.  The  Tartars  and  Moguls 
were  also  wild  hordes  that  issued  from  the 
north,  carrying  war  and  desolation  along  with 
them. 

Zingis  Khan*  was  a  Tartar  of  noble  family, 
and  son  of  a  warrior  chief.  His  private  appel- 
lation was  Temugin  ;  but,  when  he  became  re- 
nowned in  arms,  he  was  recorded  in  history  as 
Zingis,  or  Genghis  Khan.  Though  a  barbarian, 
he  believed  in  God,  acknowledged  His  power, 
and  revered  His  mercy. 

*  Gibbon. 


104  ZINGIS  KHAN. 

He  led  his  rude  and  daring  troops  into  China, 
Persia,  Greece,  Russia,  and  Poland  ;  but  rapine 
and  blood  marked  his  steps.  He  desolated  a 
great  part  of  China,  and  added  five  of  her  pro- 
vinces to  his  own  empire.  He  made  large  con- 
quests in  India,  and  subjected  almost  all  Persia. 
In  Russia,  his  victories  were  great  and  exten- 
sive. In  short,  it  is  said  that  his  conquests  ex- 
tended eighteen  hundred  leagues  from  east  to 
west,  and  a  thousand  from  north  to  south. 

His  descendants  completed  the  subjugation 
of  the  nations  which  he  had  partly  vanquished. 
After  his  death,  his  grandson,  Hulaku,  made 
himself  master  of  Bagdad,  and,  overturning  the 
government  of  the  Caliphs,  put  an  end  to  the 
Saracen  empire. 

Batau  Sagin,  another  of  his  grandsons,  fixed 
himself  in  Russia,  and  rendered  that  country 
subject  to  the  Tartars  ;  a  dominion  which  they 
held  for  three  centuries. 

Zingis  Khan  raised  the  Tartar  name  to  a  high 
rank,  and  is  celebrated  as  the  greatest,  as  well 
as  the  first,  Emperor  of  the  Moguls'.  He  died 
full  of  years  and  honors,  with  his  last  breath 
exhorting  and  instructing  his  sons  to  continue 
their  warlike  exploits,  and,  if  possible,  to  sub- 
due the  vast  empire  of  China. 

The  year  before  this  Tartar  chief  died,  Louis 


LOUIS    IX.  105 

IX.,  called  the  Saint,  ascended  the  throne  of 
France,  at  twelve  years  of  age.  His  mother, 
Blanche  of  Castile,  was  appointed  Regent 
till  Louis  should  be  old  enough  to  govern ; 
and  she  united  benevolence  of  disposition  to 
firmness  of  mind,  in  a  very  eminent  degree. 
The  young  King  applied  himself  diligently  to 
the  study  of  his  duties  ;  and  when  he  attained 
the  age  of  twenty-one,  he  assumed  the  govern- 
ment, but  without  withdrawing  his  confidence 
from  his  mother,  whose  advice  he  still  followed. 
He  was  a  very  great,  as  well  as  a  very  extraor- 
dinary man ;  fierce  and  terrible  in  battle,  but 
so  mild  and  gentle  in  his  private  character,  that 
his  mother  commanded  him,  and  his  domestics 
gained  too  much  influence  over  him.  Religion 
was  the  first  object  of  his  life  ;  and  he  was  deep- 
ly grieved  at  the  accounts  of  the  hardships 
which  the  Christians  endured  ?n  the  Holy  Land, 
from  the  cruelty  of  the  Turks  and  other  infidels. 
The  city  of  Jerusalem  was  taken  and  pillaged 
by  the  Persians ;  and  Louis,  being  dangerously 
ill  at  the  time  this  afflicting  news  arrived,  made 
a  vow  that,  if  he  recovered,  he  would  go  himself 
to  the  relief  of  the  Christians.  In  vain  did  his 
mother,  the  Bishop  of  Paris,  and  all  the  wise 
people  of  his  court,  unite  their  endeavors  to 
dissuade  him  against  so  dangerous  an  under- 


106  CRUSADES    OF    ST.    LOUIS. 

taking ;  all  they  could  say  was  useless,  and  they 
were  obliged  to  yield  to  him.  Most  of  the  no- 
bles followed  his  example,  and  took  up  the  cross. 
After  three  years'  preparation,  he  entrusted 
the  care  of  his  dominions  to  his  mother,  and 
embarked,  and  arrived  safely  in  the  Island  of 
Cyprus.  He  first  determined  to  turn  his  arms 
against  Egypt,  thinking,  if  he  conquered  that 
country,  it  would  make  the  taking  of  Jerusalem 
very  easy.  In  this  expedition  he  performed 
acts  of  valor  almost  beyond  belief :  his  fleet  be- 
ing dispersed  in  a  violent  storm,  he  collected 
the  remains  of  it,  and  arrived  off  Damietta,  a 
very  strong  city,  at  the  mouth  of  the  river 
Nile.  The  ships  and  army  of  the  infidels  lined 
the  coast,  and  made  the  landing  very  danger- 
ous ;  but  Louis  feared  nothing ;  the  vessel  he 
was  in  was  scarcely  within  reach  of  the  shore, 
when  he  threw  himself  into  the  sea  with  his 
sword  in  his  hand,  and,  advancing  through 
showers  of  arrows,  landed,  followed  by  his 
soldiers,  whom  he  ranged  in  order  of  battle,  and 
then  they  put  the  Saracens  to  flight.  He  took 
the  city  of  Damietta,  and  gained  many  other 
advantages  ;  but  the  Saracens  received  great 
reinforcements.  Louis  resolved,  in  spite  of  this, 
to  besiege  the  city  of  Grand  Cairo,  the  capital 
of  Egyot :  but  during  the  march,  which  was 


CRUSADES    OF    ST.    LOUIS.  107 

long  and  difficult,  the  Saracens  made  many  at- 
tacks upon  his  army.     The  Count  d'Artois,  bro- 
ther to  the  King,  pursuing  a  squadron  of  these 
infidels  with  too  much  ardor,  entered  with  them 
and  some  of  his  own  soldiers  into  the  town  of 
Mansoura,  where  he  was  attacked  in  the  streets 
and  killed,  after  fighting  like  a  hero,  and  being 
covered  with  wounds.     Louis,   hearing   of  the 
danger  of  his   brother,  flew  to  his  assistance 
with  the  bravest  of  his  army  ;  but  it  was  too 
late :  the  battle  then  became  general,  and  the 
King  was  surrounded  by  enemies,  who  tried  to 
take  him  prisoner,  but  he  defended  himself  so 
bravely  that  he  dispersed  them  on  all   sides. 
New  battles,  though  equally  glorious,  weakened 
the  French  army  considerably  ;  they  also  began 
to  be  in  want  of  provisions,  and  many  of  them 
fell  sick.     All  the  camp  was   like  a  hospital ; 
and  the  King  distinguished  himself  by  his  hu- 
manity and  kindness  to  his  soldiers  as  much  as 
by  his  bravery.     They  had  now  no  chance  but 
to  return  to  Damietta,  which  was  very  danger- 
ous, surrounded  as  they  were  by  the  victorious 
army   of  the    Saracens.     On   the   march,    the 
French   were   attacked   and   beaten;  and   the 
King  himself,  after  many  efforts  of  valor,  was 
taken  prisoner,  with  all  the  nobles  who  accom- 
panied him.     Sick  and  in  prison,  without  hope, 


108  CRUSADES    OP    ST.    LOUIS. 

and  with  only  one  single  attendant  near  him, 
he  displayed  such  heroic  patience  and  so  much 
true  grandeur  of  soul,  that  he  astonished  all  the 
infidels.  At  last,  after  great  sufferings,  he  en- 
tered into  a  treaty  with  them,  by  which  he 
agreed  to  restore  to  them  the  city  of  Damietta 
in  exchange  for  his  own  liberty,  and  to  pay  them 
a  large  sum  of  money  for  the  ransom  of  his  army. 
His  Queen,  whose  name  was  Margaret,  had  ac- 
companied him  in  this  expedition  ;  and  he  had 
left  her  at  Damietta,  when  he  set  off  for  Grand 
Cairo.  When  she  heard  that  the  King  was  a 
prisoner,  she  threw  herself  at  the  feet  of  an  old 
knight  who  attended  her,  and  made  him  swear 
to  grant  the  request  she  was  going  to  make. 
After  he  had  taken  the  oath  she  required,  she 
said,  "  It  is,  that  if  the  Saracens  take  posses- 
sion of  this  city,  you  will  cut  off  my  head  before 
they  make  me  a  prisoner."  "  Most  willingly," 
replied  the  knight,  in  his  honest  language ;  "  I 
had  before  thought  of  doing  so,  if  that  event 
should  come  to  pass :"  and  without  doubt  he 
would  have  kept  his  word,  had  not  the  Queen 
been  included  in  the  ransom. 

Louis  concluded  a  truce  with  the  Saracens 
for  ten  years  ;  after  which  he  assembled  the  re- 
mains of  his  little  army,  and  went  to  the  Holy 
Land,  where  he  passed  four  years  in  acts  of  de- 


*•          CRUSADES    OF    ST.    LOUIS.  109 

votion.  in  pilgrimages,  and  in  endeavoring  to 
convert  the  infidels  to  the  religion  of  Jesus 
Christ.  At  last,  the  death  of  his  mother  made 
it  necessary  for  him  to  return  to  France,  in  the 
year  1254,  where  he  was  received  with  trans- 
ports of  joy  by  all  his  subjects.  After  he  had 
been  at  home  a  little  while,  he  undertook  to 
visit  the  various  parts  of  his  dominions  ;  and 
wherever  he  went,  he  left  behind  him  tokens  of 
his  generosity  and  wisdom. 

Though  the  first  expedition  of  St.  Louis  to 
the  Holy  Land  had  been  unfortunate,  he  was 
always  desirous  of  going  on  a  second  crusade. 
News  of  the  most  afflicting  nature  was  received 
from  Palestine,  in  the  year  1267.  Some  socie- 
ties of  knights,  some  called  Templars,  and  others 
Hospitallers,  which  had  been  established  for 
the  defence  of  that  country,  were  spreading  de- 
solation all  around  them,  in  consequence  of 
quarrels  among  themselves.  The  infidels  took 
all  the  strong  places  from  the  Christians,  and 
persecuted  them  with  great  cruelty.  The  King 
longed  to  go  to  their  assistance  ;  and  though  he 
was  too  weak  to  sit  on  horseback,  or  to  support 
the  weight  of  his  armor,  yet  he  determined  upon 
another  crusade,  and  engaged  almost  all  his 
nobles  to  accompany  him. 

The  preparations  were  very  long,  and  in  pro- 


110  CRUSADES    OP    ST.    LOUIS. 

portion  to  the  greatness  of  the  undertaking  ;  so 
that  the  crusaders  did  not  embark  till  the  year 
1270.  Every  one  thought  he  was  going  to 
Egypt,  or  Palestine ;  but,  all  at  once,  the  King 
steered  his  course  toward  Tunis,  as  he  flattered 
himself  that  the  conquest  of  that  kingdom  would 
open  the  way  for  him  to  make  himself  master 
of  Egypt ;  without  which  he  saw  that  it  was  in 
vain  for  him  to  hope  for  success  in  the  Holy 
Land.  Before  he  landed,  the  infidels  threatened 
to  kill  all  the  Christians  in  their  country  if  the 
French  came  on  shore  :  but  this  threat  did  not 
prevent  the  army  from  disembarking  ;  and  they 
encamped  near  the  ruins  of  a  celebrated  ancient 
city,  called  Carthage. 

Louis  could  not  attack  Tunis  till  he  had  re- 
ceived some  succors  from  his  brother  Charles, 
King  of  Sicily  ;  and,  whilst  he  was  waiting,  his 
army  was  attacked  by  the  plague,  which  carried 
off  half  his  soldiers  in  a  few  days.  To  add  to 
the  sufferings  of  the  crusaders,  the  Saracens, 
by  means  of  machines,  showered  burning  hot 
sand  upon  the  Christians  ;  and  so  continually 
attacked  them,  that  the  strength  of  the  army 
was  completely  exhausted.  The  living  were 
not  enough  to  bury  the  dead  :  mos  t  of  the  no- 
bles were  among  the  number  of  the  latter ; 
and  the  Count  de  Nevers,  the  beloved  son  of 


CRUSADES    OF    ST.    LOUIS.  Ill 

"  Louis,  expired  in  his  arms.  The  King  himself 
was  seized  with  the  disorder,  and  he  felt  from 
the  first  that  he  should  not  recover ;  but  he 
tried  to  conceal  his  sufferings ;  and,  with  every 
appearance  of  death  upon  his  countenance,  he 
visited  the  hospitals,  and  administered  all  the 
consolation  he  could  to  the  sick  and  dying. 
From  the  duties  of  charity,  he  passed  to  those 
of  a  King,  watching  over  the  safety  of  the 
camp,  and  attending  to  the  affairs  of  his  subjects. 
Philip,  his  son  and  successor,  never  quitted  his 
father,  who  was  at  last  confined  to  his  tent ; 
and  then  he  wrote,  on  his  death-bed,  instructions 
and  advice  to  his  son,  which  can  scarcely  ever 
be  read  without  tears. 

On  the  morning  of  the  25th  August,  1270, 
feeling  his  death  to  be  near,  he  made  those 
around  him  lay  him  on  a  bed  of  ashes,  in  token 
of  his  humility,  where  he  remained  extended, 
with  his  arms  crossed  over  his  breast,  and  his 
eyes  raised  to  heaven.  In  the  midst  of  the 
ruins  of  Carthage,  the  camp  of  the  Christians 
presented  a  mournful  spectacle :  not  the  least 
noise  was  heard ;  and  the  dying  soldiers  crawled 
out  of  the  hospitals,  and  dragged  themselves 
through  the  ruins  to  approach  their  expiring 
King.  Louis  was  surrounded  by  his  afflicted 
family ;  the  deputies  from  the  Emperor  of  Con- 


112  CRUSADES    OF    ST.    LOUIS. 

stantinople  were  present ;  and  all  were  filled 
with  admiration  for  the  dying  Christian  hero. 
At  last,  giving  a  deep  sigh,  Louis  pronounced 
distinctly  these  words,  "  Lord,  I  will  enter  into 
Thy  house,  and  I  will  adore  Thee  in  Thy  holy 
temple  !"  and  at  that  moment  he  breathed  his 
last. 

The  fleet  of  the  King  of  Sicily  now  appeared 
in  view  ;  the  trumpets  of  these  new  crusaders 
were  heard,  and  they  arrived  full  of  hope  and 
joy,  bringing  large  succors  with  them.  No 
answer  being  given  to  their  signals,  Charles, 
their  King,  was  astonished,  and  began  to  fear 
that  some  dreadful  misfortune  had  happened : 
he  landed,  and  seeing  the  sentinels  with  their 
spears  reversed,  he  flew  to  the  tent  of  his 
brother  Louis,  and  found  him  dead,  extended 
upon  his  bed  of  ashes ;  he  threw  himself  on 
the  dead  body,  and  gave  marks  of  tenderness 
and  feeling,  such  as  could  never  have  been  ex- 
pected from  so  haughty  a  soul.  The  coun- 
tenance of  St.  Louis  had  yet  no  appearance  of 
death ;  and  even  his  lips  retained  their  color. 
His  body  was  brought  to  Europe,  to  be  buried 
at  St.  Denis ;  but  the  soldiers  Avould  not  let  it 
depart  before  themselves,  saying,  that  the 
precious  remains  of  their  beloved  sovereign 
would  be  the  safeguard  of  the  army. 


EDWARD    I.  118 

CHAPTER  XXIII. 

EDWARD   I. 

EDWARD  heard  on  the  same  day  of  the 
death  of  his  father  and  of  his  son ;  and  ex- 
claimed that  the  loss  of  the  first  was  most  ter- 
rible ;  "  For,"  said  he,  "  I  may  have  other  sons, 
but  I  can  never  have  another  father."  Reflect 
on  the  justness  of  this  sentiment,  and  cherish 
your  parents  whilst  they  are  yet  with  you,  for 
their  loss  can  never  be  repaired. 

There  was  a  people  in  Persia  and  Syria  called 
Hassassins,  from  Hass,  the  Arabic  term  for  to 
kill,  because  they  thought  the  crime  of  murder 
a  great  virtue.  Hence  arose  the  expression 
assassin.  The  chief  of  these  savages  was 
called  "  The  Old  Man  of  the  Mountain ;"  and 
at  his  command  they  travelled  to  all  places,  far 
and  near,  to  slay  whomsoever  he  ordered  them. 
Hulaku,  the  conqueror  of  Persia,  mentioned  in 
the  last  chapter,  exterminated  this  sanguinary 
race.  Before  the  race  was  so  exterminated, 
one  of  these  assassins  attempted  to  murder 
Edward.  He  entered  the  royal  tent,  when  the 
Prince  was  with '  his  army  in  Palestine,  and 
tried  to  stab  him  with  a  dagger.  Edward 
caught  the  blow  on  his  arm,  and  throwing  down 
10 


114  EDWARD    I. 

the  ruffian,  soon  despatched  him.  It  was  feared 
the  wound  on  the  arm  might  have  been  given 
with  a  poisoned  dagger ;  but  the  Prince  happily 
recovered,  to  the  great  joy  of  his  army  and  his 
nation. 

He  returned  to  England,  and  was  crowned  at 
Westminster.  The  Welsh  had  often  harassed 
their  English  neighbors,  and  laid  waste  the 
adjacent  counties ;  Edward  therefore  resolved 
to  bring  that  people  under  his  dominion,  and, 
raising  an  army,  attacked  Llewellyn,  Prince  of 
Wales.  Llewellyn  was  killed  in  battle ;  and 
from  that  period  Wales  became  a  part  of 
England. 

Edward  sullied  the  glory  of  his  victory  by 
ordering  all  the  Welsh  bards  to  be  massacred. 
He  excused  this  barbarity,  by  saying  he  did  so 
to  preserve  tranquillity  in  the  kingdom ;  the 
bards  being  likely  to  keep  up  a  spirit  of  dis- 
sension, as  they  were  always  reciting  verses 
about  the  prowess  of  their  ancestors. 

The  Welsh,  provoked  at  this  cruelty,  and 
proud  of  their  long-preserved  independence, 
did  not  seem  disposed  to  submit  patiently  to 
the  yoke  of  their  conqueror ;  but  Edward 
softened  their  anger  by  an  ingenious  arrange- 
ment. He  promised  the  Welsh  a  prince,  born 
in  Wales,  and  who  could  speak  no  English. 


EDWARD    I.  115 

His  Queen  soon  after  had  a  son,  born  in  the 
castle  of  Caernarvon.  Edward  presented  the 
infant  to  the  Welsh  lords,  as  their  native 
prince ;  certainly  he  could  not  speak  one  word 
of  English.  The  Welsh  lords  smiled  at  the 
trick,  yet  joyfully  accepted  of  the  little  prince 
for  their  future  ruler. 

It  happened  that  the  King's  eldest  son,  Al- 
phonso,  died  soon  after ;  thus  the  little  Edward 
became  heir  to  the  throne  of  England;  and 
from  that  time  the  eldest  son  of  the  English 
King  is  called  Prince  of  Wales.  Pray  re- 
member how  that  title  was  acquired,  and  when 
it  was  first  conferred. 

Another  very  interesting  event  marked  the 
reign  of  Edward  I.  The  King  of  Scotland, 
Alexander  III.,  died,  and  left  a  grand-daughter 
for  his  successor  ;  but,  she  also  dying,  the  crown 
of  Scotland  was  claimed  by  many  competitors. 
Three  of  these  had  nearly  equal  claims  ;  John 
Hastings,  John  Baliol,  and  Robert  Bruce.  The 
pretensions  of  these  were  laid  before  Edward, 
(for  his  opinion ;  who,  after  some  deliberation, 
astonished  the  claimants  by  declaring  himself 
to  be  the  righful  heir. 

The  Scots  were  not  willing  to  admit  his  preten- 
sions ;  but  at  last  acknowledged  his  superiority, 
and  received  from  his  hands  Baliol  as  their  King. 


116  EDWARD    I. 

But  Baliol,  uneasy  at  the  dominion  exerted  over 
him  by  Edward,  intrigued  with  Philip,  King  of 
France.  New  dissensions  arose  ;  and  Baliol 
was  made  prisoner  by  the  English  monarch,  and 
confined  in  London.  He  was  afterward  releas- 
ed, and  spent  the  rest  of  his  life  in  France,  in 
peace  and  privacy. 

William  Wallace,  the  illustrious  Scottish  hero, 
next  essayed  to  rescue  the  freedom  of  his  na- 
tive land.  But,  after  many  glorious  efforts,  he 
was  betrayed  (I  write  it  with  indignation)  by  a 
pretended  friend  into  the  hands  of  Edward, 
brought  to  trial,  and  hanged  as  a  traitor  :  a 
most  undeserved  punishment  for  a  brave  man, 
whose  only  political  sin  was  his  heroic  patriot- 
ism ! 

Do  you  not  think  the  ignominious  death  of 
Wallace  is  a  disgrace  to  the  memory  of  the  first 
Edward  ? 

Robert  Bruce,  grandson  to  that  Robert  who 
opposed  Baliol,  instructed  and  inspired  by  the 
gallant  Wallace,  resolved  to  emulate  his  deeds, 
and  rescue  Scotland  from  a  state  of  vassalage. 
Edward  was  aware  of  his  intentions,  and  sur- 
rounded him  with  spies.  Bruce  was  warned  of 
his  danger  by  the  ingenious  present  of  a  friend, 
who  sent  him  a  pair  of  gilt  spurs  and  a  purse 
full  of  money.  Flight  being  thus  insinuated 


EDWARD    I.  117 

Bruce  ordered  his  horse  to  be  shod  with  the 
shoes  turned  the  wrong  way,  to  elude  pursuit, 
and  happily  escaped.  He  afterward  fought  so 
bravely,  and  planned  so  wisely,  that  he  soon 
found  himself  at  the  head  of  a  fine  army.  He 
was  crowned  King  of  Scotland  at  Scone,  and 
the  English  were  compelled  to  retire  into  their 
own  country. 

Edward,  though  advanced  in  age,  was  not  en- 
feebled in  mind,  and  he  immediately  determin- 
ed to  humble  the  new  monarch.  He  himself 
appeared  at  the  head  of  his  forces  ;  and,  direct- 
ing his  anger  against  the  Scottish  nobles,  he  is 
represented  as  having  acted  with  lenity  and  pity 
toward  the  Scottish  peasantry.  It  is  related, 
that  he  shut  up  the  sister  of  Bruce  in  a  wooden 
cage,  and  had  his  two  brothers  put  to  death. 

But  all  farther  designs  against  the  independ- 
ence of  Scotland  were  arrested  by  the  decease 
of  the  King.  Edward  was  taken  ill  at  Carlisle, 
in  Cumberland,  and  expired  there,  after  com- 
manding his  son  to  complete  the  reduction  of 
Scotland.  Like  Zingis  Khan,  the  hero  of  the 
last  chapter,  he  lived  and  died  a  warrior ;  and 
with  his  latest  breath  desired  to  bequeath  his 
spirit  and  his  animosity  to  his  successor. 

Considering  the  times  in  which  he  lived,  Ed- 
ward is  reckoned  one  of  the  best  kings  that  ever 


118  SICILIAN    VESPERS. 

sat  on  the  English  throne.  Valorous,  persever- 
ing, respecting  justice,  yet  loving  mercy,  his 
fame  would  have  been  brighter,  had  his  conduct 
toward  Wallace  been  more  lenient  and  honor- 
able. 


CHAPTER    XXIV. 

SICILIAN     VESPERS    (1382).       THE    OTTOMAN     EM- 
PIRE   ESTABLISHED  (1299). 

DURING  the  reign  of  the  first  Edward  of 
England,  a  bloody  tragedy  was  acted  in  the 
island  of  Sicily.  Sicily,  you  know,  is  in  the 
Mediterranean  Sea,  at  the  southernmost  point 
of  Italy.  The  Saracens  once  possessed  it ;  but 
they  were  driven  out  by  Tancred  and  his  brave 
Normans,  who  were  in  turn  supplanted  by  the 
French. 

Charles  of  Anjou,  uncle  to  Philip  III.  of 
France,  governed  the  Sicilians  with  so  much 
rigor,  that  a  conspiracy  was  formed  to  expel  all 
the  French  from  Sicily. 

Some  Frenchmen  having  insulted  and  abused 
a  Sicilian  lady,  the  animosity  of  the  islanders 
was  heightened,  and  their  desire  of  revenge 
quickened. 


SICILIAN    VESPERS.  119 

A  horrible  plot  was  laid,  and  boldly  executed. 
On  Easter  Monday,  1282,  at  the  tolling  of  the 
church-bell  for  vespers,  or  evening  service,  a 
general  massacre  of  all  the  French  in  Sicily 
took  place.  This  signal  was  so  punctually  and 
universally  observed,  that,  it  is  said,  in  little 
more  than  two  hours,  scarcely  a  Frenchman  was 
left  alive  in  the  whole  island.  This  sanguinary 
and  successful  conspiracy  is  known  in  history 
by  the  appellation  of  "  the  Sicilian  Vespers." 

Peter,  King  of  Arragon,  in  Spain,  had  coun- 
tenanced and  assisted  the  conspirators  ;  and,  on 
the  execution  of  their  horrible  project,  he  took 
possession  of  the  Island  of  Sicily.  This  island, 
however,  came  afterward  into  the  hands  of  the 
French,  and  again  under  the  rule  of  the  House 
of  Anjou. 

Is  not  this  massacre  almost  incredible  ?  Does 
it  not  seem  unlikely  to  have  occurred  among  the 
most  barbarous  of  nations  ?  Should  we  not  turn 
with  horror  and  disbelief  from  the  account  of 
such  a  warfare  among  the  most  ferocious  brutes ; 
tigers,  lions,  bears  ?  What  shall  we  say  to  it  ? 
What  can  we  think'  of  it,  as  the  coolly-arranged 
scheme  of  a  civilized  nation  of  rational  creatures  ? 
I  wish  it  were  the  only  transaction  of  the  kind 
recorded  in  history ;  but  you  will  hear  of  a  yet 
more  extensive  massacre,  committed  in  a  more 


120  OTTOMAN  EMPIRE. 

civilized  era,  and  by  the  most  polite  people  of 
Europe  ! — But  I  will  not  forestall  events. 

On  the  27th  of  June,  1299,  Othman,  the  re- 
nowned leader  of  the  Turks,  commenced  the  vic- 
torious career,  which  ended  by  his  laying  the 
foundation  of  a  new  empire.  The  Turks  had 
been  till  then  a  wandering  race  ;  but  they  were 
established  as  a  people  in  the  lands  they  had 
conquered ;  and  this  new  empire  was  called, 
after  its  founder,  the  Ottoman  empire,  Othman 
being  its  first  Sultan. 

The  capital  city  was  Byrsa  (sometimes  called 
Prusa)  in  Bithynia  ;  and  a  race  of  very  warlike 
princes  succeeded  the  veteran  Othman.  The 
Turks,  you  know,  were  and  are  Mohammedans  ; 
and  Byrsa  was  enriched  with  a  mosque  and  also 
a  college. 

Amurath,  the  grandson  of  Othman,  instituted 
those  haughty  foot-soldiers  called  Janizaries.  In 
his  wars  against  the  Sclavonian  nations,  he  made 
a  great  many  prisoners.  The  handsomest  and 
stoutest  of  these  captives  were  trained  to  arms, 
formed  into  a  militia,  and  consecrated  by  a  Der- 
vish, or  holy  man.*  Standing  in  the  front  of 
their  ranks,  he  stretched  the  sleeve  of  his  gown 
over  the  head  of  the  foremost  soldier,  and  his 
blessing  was  delivered  in  these  words  :  "  Let 

*  Gibbon. 


THE    SWISS    REPUBLICS.  121 

them  be  called  Janizaries  (Zingi  cheri,  or  new 
soldiers)!  May  their  countenances  be  ever 
bright !  their  hands  victorious  !  their  swords 
keen !  May  their  spears  always  hang  over 
the  head  of  their  enemies  !  and  wheresoever 
they  go,  may  they  return  with  a  white  face." 
Such  was  the  origin  of  the  Janizaries. 


CHAPTER  XXV. 

THE    SWISS    REPUBLICS     ESTABLISHED. 

GERMANY  long  consisted,  as  it  still  does,  of 
several  independent  principalities,  each  gov- 
erned by  its  own  prince ;  and  the  Emperor  of 
Germany  was  head  of  the  whole.  This  Emperor 
was  chosen  by  the  princes  from  among  them- 
selves, and  regarded  as  their  sovereign. 

Just  when  the  first  Edward  became  King  of 
England,  Rodolph,  a  Swiss  Baron,  Count  of 
Hapsburgh,  was  elected  Emperor  of  Germany. 
Rodolph  afterward  obtained  possession  of  Aus- 
tria, and  gave  it  to  his  eldest  son  Albert.  This 
was  the  beginning  of  the  greatness  of  the  House 
of  Austria,  which  for  three  centuries  gave  em- 
perors to  Germany. 

Rodolph  was  hereditary  sovereign  of  many 

K  11 


122  THE    SWISS    REPUBLICS. 

of  the  Swiss  cantons ;  and  his  son  Albert  was 
desirous  to  subjugate  the  whole  of  Switzerland, 
and  make  it  a  dominion  for  one  of  his  sons.  But 
Albert  did  not  govern  with  the  lenity  and  good 
sense  displayed  by  his  father.  Rodolph  is  de- 
scribed as  a  prince  of  rare  merit ;  and  it  is  re- 
lated of  him,  that  he  so  well  knew  when  every 
duty  should  be  performed,  and  every  effort  made, 
"  that  he  never  once  began  anything  too  soon 
or  too  late" 

Albert  I.  when  he  became  Emperor  of  Ger- 
many, treated  his  subjects,  the  Swiss,  with  so 
much  severity,  and  placed  over  them  such  tyran- 
nical governors,  that  those  brave  mountaineers 
disdained  to  submit  to  his  yoke.  Gessler,  one 
of  the  harsh  Austrian  rulers,  in  the  wantonness 
of  power,  set  up  a  pole,  with  his  hat  upon  it, 
and  commanded  the  Swiss  to  do  homage  to  it, 
as  to  himself.  This  order,  you  may  be  sure,  a 
people  fond  of  freedom  did  not  choose  to  obey. 
One  of  them,  the  celebrated  William  Tell,  often 
passed  this  hat  without  making  the  required 
obeisance ;  and  for  his  contumely  he  was  sen- 
tenced to  be  hanged,  unless  he  should  shoot  an 
arrow  through  an  apple  placed  on  his  son's  head. 
Tell  was  an  excellent  marksman,  and  very  dex- 
terously hit  the  apple,  without  hurting  his  child. 
When  he  had  performed  this  exploit,  Gessler, 


THE    SWISS    REPUBLICS.  123 

approaching  him.  observed  a  second  arrow  stuck 
in  his  girdle,  and  inquired  for  what  use  it  was 
intended  ?  "  To  have  pierced  your  heart,  had  I 
wounded  my  son,"  replied  the  intrepid  William 
Tell.  The  brave,  you  see,  always  speak  truth, 
even  when,  by  doing  so,  they  risk  their  safety. 

Tyrants  are  seldom  generous,  or  capable  of 
feeling  the  charms  of  virtue.  Gessler  ordered 
Tell  to  prison ;  but  this  brave  man,  escaping 
from  his  dungeon,  killed  the  tyrant,  and  thus 
aided  the  deliverance  of  his  country. 

Before  this  event,  a  secret  conspiracy  had 
been  forming,  of  which  three  gallant  Swiss  were 
the  principal  contrivers,  Stauffacher,  Melchthal 
and  Furst.  Pray  roiaeuiber  the  names  of  these 
three  worthy  patriots.  I  know  nothing  better 
worth  remembering  than  the  names  and  actions 
of  the  lovers  and  benefactors  of  their  country. 

Switzerland  is  divided  into  many  cantons. 
Three  of  these,  Uri,  Schwitz,  and  Unterwalden, 
were  the  first  to  throw  off  the  Austrian  yoke ; 
the  other  cantons  followed  their  example,  till  at 
length  the  whole  of  Switzerland  became  free, 
and  so  remained  for  many  centuries. 

I  wish  I  could  tell  you  a  quarter  of  the  gal- 
lant actions  and  intrepid  efforts  of  the  Swiss, 
in  their  contest  for  liberty  and  independence. 
At  one  time,  a  few  hundreds  of  these  spirited 


124  THE    SWISS    REPUBLICS. 

warriors  conquered  many  thousands  of  their 
Austrian  foes,  and  made  the  pass  of  Morgarten 
as  famous  in  modern  history,  as  Leonidas  and 
his  Spartans  rendered  the  pass  of  Thermopylae 
in  ancient  times. 

Tell  and  Furst  fought  in  this  memorable  bat- 
tle, 15th  November,  1315  ;  and  a  chapel  was 
raised  on  the  spot  to  commemorate  their  glori- 
ous victory. 

Albert,  the  cruel  oppressor  of  a  free  people, 
was  himself  the  victim  of  cruelty ;  for  he  was 
murdered  by  his  nephew  John,  in  1308,  the 
year  after  the  commencement  of  the  struggles 
of  the  Swiss.  When  these  brave  people  had 
recovered  their  dearly  prized  liberty,  they  form- 
ed themselves  into  s@^|H  •publics.  Each 
canton  was  governed  "  -  its'  own  magistrates, 
and  all  were  bound  to*'  nite  in  the  preservation 
of  the  freedom,  and  the  peace,  and  the  rights 
of  all.  Thirteen  cantons,  besides  some  towns 
and  districts,  considered  as  allies,  were  joined 
in  this  confederacy.  Pray  look  for  Switzerland 
in  the  map  ;  you  will  find  it  at  the  foot  of  the 
Alps,  with  the  lake  of  Geneva  on  one  side,  and 
the  lake  of  Constance  on  the  other,  and  situated 
between  France,  Germany,  and  Italy. 


EDWARD    II.  125 

CHAPTER  XXVI. 

EDWARD    II.    OF    CAERNARVON. 

EDWARD  II.,  at  the  age  of  twenty-three, 
succeeded  his  father.  He  was  a  prince  of  a 
mild  and  yielding  disposition,  and  would  have 
been  amiable  and  happy  in  private  life  ;  but  he 
had  not  spirit  and  firmiress  to  rule  a  turbulent 
people. 

Instead  of  attending  to  the  advice  of  his 
lather,  in  pursuing  the  conquest  of  Scotland ; 
instead  of  devoting  himself  to  the  duties  of  his 
high  station,  he  gave  up  his  thoughts  to  unwor- 
thy favorites,  aiK^  his  time  to  pleasure  and  in- 
dolence.- 

No  good  could  accrue  from  such  unwise  in- 
dulgence ;  how  much  evil  thence  arose  the  events 
•  of  his  life  will  show.  Piers  Gaveston,  a  Gascon 
knight,  remarkable  only  for  a  handsome  figure 
and  agreeable  manners,  was  the  first  favorite 
of  the  King.  He  allowed  this  youth  to  rule 
him  in  all  things,  and  loaded  him  with  favors. 
The  Barons  were  provoked  at  the  preference 
given  to  a  silly  and  worthless  young  man  ;  they 
combined  against  him.  and  did  not  cease  their* 
persecutions  till  they  had  made  Gaveston  their 


126  EDWARD    II. 

prisoner,  and,  profiting  by  their  success,  had 
him  immediately  beheaded. 

The  feeble  monarch  was  easily  appeased,  and 
turned  his  thoughts  to  the  invasion  of  Scotland. 
In  this  attempt  he  was  defeated  at  Bannock- 
burn,  near  Stirling,  by  the  intrepid  Bruce  ;  and 
by  flight  alone  saved  himself  from  becoming  the 
captive  of  the  Scots. 

Another  favorite  now  occupied  the  affections 
of  Edward  :  Hugh  Spencer,  an  Englishman  of 
rank  and  high  accomplishments,  supplied  the 
place  of  the  murdered  Gaveston  ;  but,  as  worth- 
less as  the  former  favorite,  he  shared  his  fate, 
for  he  was  put  to  death  by  the  incensed  nobles, 
after  a  short  career  of  splendor  and  profligacy. 

The  King,  during  the  rule  of  Spencer,  had 
made  a  formidable  attack  upon  his  Barons,  and 
subdued  the  most  turbulent ;  but  he  was  after- 
ward unsuccessful.  His  wife,  Queen  Isabella, 
was  as  vicious  as  her  husband  was  weak ;  she 
loved  a  young  nobleman,  called  Mortimer,  and 
for  his  sake  was  willing  to  get  rid  of  her  royal 
consort.  Isabella,  therefore,  openly  abetted  the 
insurrection  of  the  rebellious  nobles,  and  thought 
herself  happy  when  they  had  made  Edward 
their  captive. 

I  shudder  to  repeat  with  how  much  cruelty 
the  triumphant  traitors  treated  their  sovereign. 


EDWARD    II.  127 

He  was  led  from  prison  to  prison,  and  made  to 
endure  every  indignity  which  malice  could  in- 
vent or  power  inflict. 

At  one  time,  they  caused  him  to  be  shaved 
in  the  open  fields,  and  the  cold  dirty  water  of  a 
neighboring  ditch  to  be  used  for  the  purpose. 
Disgraceful  barbarity  !  Could  men,  performing 
such  low-minded  cruelties,  presume  to  call 
themselves  Nobles?  Edward,  deeply  afflicted 
by  this  malignity,  shed  tears ;  and,  as  the  warm 
drops  trickled  down  his  cheek,  with  a  patient 
gaiety  he  exclaimed,  "  In  spite  of  the  malice 
of  my  foes,  here  is  warm  and  clean  water  on 
my  cheeks." 

lie  was  put  to  death  at  Berkeley  Castle,  by 
most  violent  and  brutal  means.  In  this  reign 
lived  the  famous"  Guy,  Earl  of  Warwick,  of 
whom  many  wonderful  stories  are  told. 

Clement  V.  was  now  Pope  of  Rome ;  but, 
Italy  being  distracted  by  contending  factions, 
he  removed  the  seat  of  the  papal  government 
to  Avignon,  1309.  Avignon  is  a  town  of 
France,  on  the  banks  of  the  Rhine.  Philip 
III.  King  of  France,  yielded  it  to  the  Popes, 
who.  by  residing  there,  caused  it  to  be  enriched 
with  many  fine  buildings,  so  that  it  became  a 
place  of  great  magnificence.  In  1791,  it  was 
taken  from  the  Pope  by  the  revolutionary  gov- 


128  PHILIP    IV. 

ernmerit,  und  again  forms  part  of  the  French 
King's  dominions. 

Clement  V.  allowed  Philip  IV.  of  France  to 
commit  a  very  cruel  action  ;  for  he  gave  him  a 
bull,  as  it  is  called  (that  is,  a  papal  order,  or 
letter),  to  extirpate  the  Knights  Templars. 
These  persons  were  therefore  driven  out  of  all 
the  kingdoms  of  Europe ;  and,  when  taken, 
were  tried  and  burnt  alive,  for  pretended 
crimes  against  religion ;  when,  in  fact,  their 
only  crime  was,  that  they  had  offended  Philip. 

This  Philip  IV.  was  a  grandson  of  St.  Louis, 
and  was  surnamed  Le  Bel,  or  the  Fair,  on  ac- 
count of  his  personal  beauty.  He  succeeded 
his  father,  Philip  the  Bold,  at  the  early  age  of 
seventeen :  he  was  a  very  brave  prince,  and 
had  some  great  qualities ;  but  he  was  also  ob- 
stinate, greedy  of  riches,  and  full  of  revenge 
against  those  who  had  offended  him.  His  ex- 
pensive wars  obliged  him  to  impose  heavy 
taxes ;  the  people,  harassed  and  drained,  be- 
came turbulent  and  seditious  ;  and  the  Knights 
Templars,  being  very  rich,  were  accused  of 
causing  the  riots  and  discontents.  By  their 
expulsion,  their  property  became  confiscated  to 
the  King :  you  see,  therefore,  why  'he  desired 
their  extirpation. 

Philip  had  many  enemies,  but  the  most  dan- 


POPE    BONIFACE  VIII.  129 

gerous  of  them  was  the  Pope,  Boniface  VIII., 
a  very  haughty,  violent,  ambitious  man,  and 
equally  wicked.  He  had  made  himself  Pope 
"by  persuading  his  predecessor,  Celestine,  to 
resign  the  popedom  ;  after  which  he  imprisoned 
the  unfortunate  Celestine,  and  inflicted  so 
many  cruelties  upon  him  as  caused  his  death. 
Boniface  was  quite  furious  if  any  one  opposed 
his  will ;  and  he  wished  to  make  all  the  kings 
of  Europe  yield  to  his  imperious  commands. 
He  was  generally  inclined  to  favor  the  King  of 
France,  till  some  differences  arose  between  him 
and  Philip,  who  was  not  less  haughty  and 
violent  than  himself.  Philip  had  detained  Guy, 
Count  of  Flanders,  and  his  two  sons,  in  prison 
very  unjustly,  and  the  Pope  sent  to  entreat 
that  they  might  be"  set  at  liberty ;  but  Philip 
was  offended  at  his  interference,  and  refused 
the  request.  Many  events  of  a  similar  nature 
occurred  to  make  the  Pope  and  the  King  more 
and  more  dissatisfied  with  each  other,  .till  at 
last  Philip  refused  all  submission  to  the  papal 
authority,  and  all  kinds  of  insults  passed  be- 
tween them.  The  Pope  then  excommunicated 
the  King ;  but  Philip  would  not  yield  to  the 
sentence,  and  prepared  to  avenge  himself,  in  a 
manner  that  no  Christian  prince  had  ever 
dared,  to  do  before.  He  sent  William  de 


130  POPE    BONIFACE  VIII. 

Nogaret,  Sciarra  Colonna,  and  others,  who 
were  bitter  enemies  to  the  Pope,  into  Italy, 
and  they  settled  themselves  at  Staggia,  a  castle 
not  far  from  Anagni,  (where  the  Pope  was  born, 
and  where  he  then  resided,)  pretending  to  be 
there  upon  business  of  state.  These  men,  who 
were  plotting  against  Boniface,  took  with  them 
about  three  hundred  horse  soldiers ;  and,  by 
means  of  money,  they  got  many  people  to  join 
their  cause,  even  in  the  city  of  Anagni.  When 
all  was  prepared,  and  they  were  sure  that  the 
gates  of  the  city  would  be  opened  to  them  by 
a  traitor  within,  they  marched  rapidly  toward 
it  and  entered,  the  French  riding  through  the 
streets,  accompanied  by  the  Italian  friends  of 
Colonna,  crying  "  Long  live  the  King  of 
France,  and  let  Boniface  die !"  They  then 
entered  the  palace  of  the  Pope,  without  meet- 
ing any  resistance ;  but  the  French  dispersed 
themselves  immediately  through  all  the  apart- 
ments, to  plunder  the  immense  treasures  which 
Boniface  had  collected  there,  so  that  Colonna, 
alone,  with  some  Italians,  came  to  the  room 
where  the  Pope  was.  There  is  not  a  doubt 
that  they  intended  to  murder  him  ;  but  the  old 
man,  whose  great  age  of  eighty-six  should  have 
made  him  respected  even  by  his  enemies,  had 
put  on  his  pontifical  robes  and  triple  crown, 


PHILIP    IV.  131 

called  the  tiara,  and  thrown  himself  on  his 
knees  in  prayer  to  God  at  the  holy  altar,  when 
he  heard  the  approach  of  the  conspirators. 
His  enemies  were  so  struck  with  awe  at  this 
sight,  that  they  did  not  dare  to  touch  him ;  hut 
threatened  to  take  him  a  prisoner  to  France, 
and  have  him  brought  to  trial.  The  French 
continued  plundering  for  three  days,  without 
determining  what  to  do  with  their  prisoner ; 
till  at  last,  the  people  of  Anagni,  who  had 
been  taken  by  surprise,  and  at  first  appeared 
inclined  to  favor  the  French,  were  induced  to 
take  up  arms ;  they  then  attacked  the  conspira- 
tors, drove  them  from  the  palace,  and  set  the 
Pope  at  liberty. 

The  criminal  intentions  of  the  King  of  France 
were,  however,  accomplished,  without  his  being 
obliged  to  have  the  old  Pope  put  to  death  ;  for 
the  insults  he  had  received  during  the  three  days 
of  his  captivity  had  so  terrified  and  enraged 
him,  that  he  lost  his  health  and  his  reason  :  he 
repaired  to  Rome,  to  be  in  safety  ;  became  fu- 
riously jealous  of  his  power  ;  and  looked  upon 
all  opposition  to  his  will  as  an  attack  upon  his 
authority.  One  day  when  he  wanted  to  go  from 
the  palace  of  the  Vatican  to  the  church  of  the 
Lateran,  the  people  about  him,  not  wishing  to 
expose  his  madness  to  the  eyes  of  the  public, 


132         DEATH    OP    POPE   BONIFACE  VIII. 

refused  to  let  him  stir  out,  and  forced  him  back 
to  his  own  apartment,  where  the  old  Pope,  trem- 
bling with  rage,  was  left  alone  with  John  Cam- 
pano,  a  man  who  had  proved  faithful  to  him  in 
all  circumstances.  This  good  old  servant  ex- 
horted him  to  support  his  misfortunes  with 
courage,  and  to  confide  in  that  Power  which 
alone  can  comfort  us  under  all  afflictions,  and 
would  give  him  consolation  and  strength  to  sup- 
port his  trials  like  a  Christian.  But  Boniface 
did  not  answer  a  single  word ;  his  eyes  became 
sunk ;  he  foamed  with  rage,  gnashed  his  teeth, 
and  refused  all  food.  His  madness  seemed  to 
increase  as  night  approached,  and  he  passed  it 
without  sleep,  as  he  had  passed  the  day  with- 
out nourishment.  At  last,  appearing  quite  ex- 
hausted from  the  anguish  of  his  mind,  he  order- 
ed the  domestics  to  retire  ;  and,  remaining 
alone,  he  locked  his  door.  After  waiting  a  long 
time,  the  servants  broke  open  the  door,  and 
found  him  on  the  bed  quite  stiff  and  cold.  A 
staff  which  he  had  in  his  hand  was  gnawed  and 
covered  with  froth,  and  he  appeared  to  have 
dashed  himself  with  violence  against  the  wall 
(for  his  white  hairs  were  stained  with  his  own 
blood),  and  then  to  have  thrown  himself  on  the 
bed,  and  covered  his  head  with  the  clothes,  by 


EDWARD    III.  133 

which  means  he  most  probably  smothered  him- 
self. 

Philip  lived  some  years  after  the  Pope ;  but 
he  had  many  vexations,  which  preyed  upon  his 
health,  and  made  him  very  unhappy.  One  day, 
when  hunting  the  wild  boar  in  the  forest  of 
Fontainebleau,  the  animal  ran  between  the  legs 
of  his  horse,  which  plunged,  and  fell  with  the 
King  under  him.  This  fall  occasioned  his 
death,  at  the  age  of  forty-five,  and  after  he  had 
reigned  twenty-seven  years. 

On  his  death-bed  Philip  repented  bitterly 
that  he  had  given  way  to  his  violent  pas- 
sions, and  gave  excellent  advice  to  his  son  Louis 
Hutin,  who  succeeded  him  ;  but  good  example  is 
always  better  than  good  advice,  and  has  more 
influence  on  those  around  us. 

Dante,  the  famed  Italian  poet,  died  a  few 
years  before  Edward  II.  was  murdered. 


CHAPTER  XXVII. 

EDWARD    III. 


EDWARD  III.  was  only  fourteen  when  his 
father  was  so  cruelly  murdered,  as  I  stated  in 
the  last  chapter.  His  mother  and  her  minion, 
Mortimer,  usurped  the  regal  power ;  but  the 


134  EDWARD    III. 

brave  young  Prince  soon  threw  off  the  yoke  of 
these  unworthy  rulers.  Assisted  by  some  of 
his  faithful  barons,  he  entered  into  a  plan  for 
freeing  himself  and  his  country  from  the  tyranny 
of  Mortimer  and  the  shameless  Isabella. 

Edward  seemed  willing  to  devote  himself  to 
the  good  of  his  people  ;  but  his  love  of  arms 
led  him  continually  into  military  exploits.  In  his 
wars  against  France,  his  son,  Edward  the  Black 
Prince,  (so  called  from  the  color  of  his  arms,) 
shone  very  conspicuously. 

At  the  famous  battle  of  Crecy,  in  1346,  the 
Prince  of  Wales  performed  prodigies  of  valor. 
Being  hemmed  around  by  numerous  troops  of 
the  enemy,  some  of  his  officers,  anxious  for  the 
safety  of  the  gallant  youth,  sent  messengers  to 
his  father  (who  was  at  a  distance  watching  the 
engagement)  to  despatch  succors  to  his  son. 
The  King  hearing  that  Edward  was  as  yet  un- 
hurt, calmly  replied,  "  I  will  not  send  any  rein- 
forcement ;  be  all  the  honor  of  the  day  his  own ;  let 
him  show  himself  worthy  of  his  illustrious  rank." 

The  Prince  fulfilled  the  wishes  of  his  father ; 
he  obtained  a  complete  victory  ;  and  on  his  re- 
turn to  the  camp  received  the  warm  embrace  of 
his  delighted  parent,  who  exclaimed,  "  My 
valiant  son !  go  on  as  you  have  begun— you 
have  acquitted  yourself  nobly." 


SURRENDER    OF    CALAIS.  135 

How  grateful  to  the  ardent  bosom  of  the  juve- 
nile warrior  (then  only  fifteen  years  of  age) 
must  hare  been  this  praise  ! 

The  siege  of  Calais  was  the  next  brilliant 
undertaking  of  the  English  monarch,  and  after 
twelve  months  the  city  surrendered,  on  August 
3, 1347.  Edward  was  so  provoked  at  the  trouble 
and  time  the  siege  had  caused,  that,  forgetting 
that  what  had  been  harassing  to  him  was  most 
honorable  to  his  brave  and  enduring  enemies, 
he  vowed  to  take  a  signal  revenge.  His  anger, 
however,  being  somewhat  pacified,  he  declared 
that  if  six  citizens  would  deliver  themselves  to 
him  for  execution,  bareheaded,  barefooted,  and 
with  halters  round  their  necks,  he  would  forgive 
the  rest. 

Have  I  not  told  you  something  similar  to  this 
in  ancient  history.  Try  and  remember. 

The  citizens  of  Calais,  like  the  inclosed  Ro- 
mans, were  at  first  dismayed ;  but,  like  those 
ancient  heroes,  finally  decided,  that  it  is  some- 
times glorious  to  submit  to  ignominious  terms, 
when,  by  so  doing,  we  can  benefit  our  country 
or  our  fellow-creatures. 

Eustace  de  St.  Pierre  immortalized  his  name 
by  being  the  first  to  offer  himself  as  a  victim  to 
rescue  his  fellow-citizens.  His  noble  example 
was  instantly  followed.  It  is  thus  that  virtue 


136  PHILIP    VI. 

is  often  doubly  serviceable  ;  in  the  actions  of 
the  individual,  and  in  arousing  the  emulation 
and  imitation  of  beholders.  It  is  thought  that 
the  King  would  have  sacrificed  these  six  high- 
minded  townsmen  to  his  blind  rage,  had  not  the 
Queen  Philippa,  on  her  knees,  pleaded  for  their 
lives,  and  opened  her  husband's  heart  to  gene- 
rous feelings. 

St.  Pierre  and  his  companions  were  saved ; 
and  Edward  did  himself  more  honor  by  mas- 
tering his  revenge,  than  by  conquering  Ca- 
lais. 

At  this  time  Philip  VI.,  surnamed  of  Valois, 
ruled  in  France,  and  his  reign  was  distinguish- 
ed by  the  extraordinary  valor  of  three  ladies 
of  high  rank,  whose  exploits  excited  the  admi- 
ration of  all  Europe.  As  their  names  are  im- 
mortalized in  history,  and  they  are  deservedly 
ranked  with  the  greatest  warriors,  you  will  be 
glad  to  have  some  account  of  them. 

John,  the  third  Duke  of  Brittany,  being  with- 
out children,  adopted  his  niece  Jane,  and  hav- 
ing declared  her  heiress  of  his  duchy,  married 
her  to  the  Count  De  Blois,  nephew  to  King 
Philip.  On  the  death  of  the  Duke  of  Brittany, 
in  1341,  the  Count  de  Montfort,  one  of  his 
brothers,  wished  to  deprive  his  niece  of  the 
duchy,  to  which  the  late  Duke  had  made  her 


THE  COUNTESS  OF  MONTFORT.    137 

heiress  ;  and,  fearing  the  King  of  France  might 
take  her  part,  as  she  was  married  to  his  nephew, 
he  joined  himself  to  Edward  III.  King  of  Eng- 
land, who  was  at  war  with  France,  and  then  seiz- 
ed the  principal  cities  in  Brittany.  The  King 
of  France  sent  an  army  into  that  province,  to 
the  assistance  of  his  nephew,  and,  besieging 
Nantes,  the  capital,  they  made  themselves  mas- 
ters of  it,  took  the  Count  De  Montfort  prisoner, 
and  sent  him,  strongly  guarded,  to  Paris,  where 
he  was  shut  up  in  the  great  tower  of  the  Louvre. 
The  war,  however,  was  not  ended,  though  the 
chief  had  been  taken ;  for  the  Countess  De 
Montfort,  whose  name  also  was  Jane,  continued 
it  with  incredible  vigor. 

This  Princess  was  one  of  the  most  illustrious 
and  extraordinary  women  in  the  world  ;  and  was 
endowed  with  the  greatest  fortitude,  courage, 
and  ability.  She  managed  a  war-horse  better 
than  any  knight;  was  skilful  in  all  kinds  of 
warlike  exercises ;  and  could  fight  by  sea  and 
by  land  with  as  much  ease  and  unconcern  as 
another  lady  would  have  shown  in  a  ball-room. 
Like  a  perfect  general,  she  knew  how  to  order 
a  battle,  to  guard  a  city,  to  make  a  treaty,  to 
provide  for  the  safety  of  an  army  without  con- 
fusion, to  surprise  the  enemy ;  when  to  advance 
and  when  to  retire,  to  attack  and  to  defend,  and 
12 


138  THE    COUNTESS    OP   MONTFORT. 

to  support  every  kind  of  hardship  and  fatigue. 
This  heroine,  hearing  that  her  husband  was 
taken  prisoner,  instead  of  losing  time  in  useless 
repining,  visited  all  the  towns,  to  assure  herself 
of  the  fidelity  of  the  people,  and  to  inspire  them 
with  confidence,  taking  with  her  her  infant  son, 
who  was  only  three  years  old,  and  whom  she 
held  in  her  arms.  Fearing  for  the  safety  of  this 
dear  boy,  she  sent  him  to  England,  to  the  care 
of  King  Edward,  who  sent  six  thousand  men  to 
her  assistance  ;  but  as  these  troops  did  not  ar- 
rive in  time  to  defend  the  city  of  Rennes,  which 
the  French  were  then  besieging,  the  inhabitants 
were  obliged  to  surrender. 

The  French  afterward  attacked  the  town  of 
Hennebon,  where  the  Countess  herself  was,  and 
where  the  fight  was  long  and  obstinate  ;  but  she 
defended  the  place  with  such  skill,  that  the 
enemy  were  obliged  to  retire.  Ascending  to 
the  top  of  one  of  the  towers  of  the  city,  to  ob- 
serve the  situation  of  the  French  camp,  she  per- 
ceived a  part,  which  appeared  to  be  ill  guarded ; 
and,  immediately  getting  on  horseback,  she  put 
herself  at  the  head  of  three  hundred  knights, 
galloped  through  one  of  the  gates  of  the  city, 
surprised  that  part  of  the  camp,  and  set  it  on 
fire.  The  report  of  this  attack,  the  sight  of  the 
fire,  and  the  flight  of  those  who  had  been  sur- 


TRUE  STORIES. 


•        A 

:         I  k     : 

•  ~  --£" 


i  *    'i:ii Hi? ,  "—     '  ~^=^ 


1)R    MOUXTFOKT. 


THE    COUNTESS    OF  MONTFORT.          139 

prised,  spread  such  alarm  and  consternation 
among  the  French,  that  their  general  gave  up 
the  siege  of  the  city,  and  marched  to  the  relief 
of  his  own  camp.  The  Countess,  seeing  that 
her  undertaking  had  succeeded,  rallied  her  troops, 
and  would  have  taken  the  road  back  to  the  town ; 
but  the  enemy  had  cut  off  her  retreat,  and  she 
could  not  return ;  upon  which  she  gave  orders 
to  her  soldiers  to  escape  toward  Brest.  The 
French,  seizing  some  of  those  who  were  fleeing 
away,  were  astonished  to  learn  from  them  that 
the  Countess  herself  had  been  at  the  head  of 
the  attack  on  the  camp,  and  was  among  the 
troops  they  were  then  in  pursuit  of.  The  people 
of  Hennebon,  not  knowing  Avhat  was  become  of 
her,  were  full  of  anxiety  for  her  safety ;  but,  at 
the  end  of  five  days,  she  appeared  again,  with  a 
reinforcement  of  six  hundred  men,  well  armed 
and  mounted.  The  inhabitants  sallied  out  to 
receive  her ;  and  she  entered  the  city  with 
trumpets  sounding,  and  in  the  face  of  the  enemy, 
who  were  filled  with  admiration  and  astonish- 
ment at  her  intrepidity. 

The  Count  De  Blois  having  also  received  a 
reinforcement,  the  assault  on  the  town  was  re- 
newed with  greater  fury  than  ever  ;  and  in  many 
places  the  walls  were  so  battered  that  the 
besieged  began  to  think  of  surrendering.  The 


140         THE    COUNTESS    OF    MONTFORT. 

Countesa  De  Montfort,  in  despair,  looked  out 
toward  the  sea,  and,  perceiving  an  English  fleet 
at  a  distance,  cried  out,  "  Courage,  my  children  ! 
We  are  saved ;  for  succors  are  coming  from  our 
friends  !"  Such  unexpected  glad  tidings  gave 
courage  to  the  people  ;  they  talked  no  more  of 
yielding;  and  the  English  general  landed  his 
soldiers,  attacked  the  French  camp,  and  com- 
pelled the  enemy  to  raise  the  siege.  A  little 
time  after,  a  truce  was  concluded  between  Eng- 
land and  France,  during  which  the  Count  De 
Montfort  was  set  at  liberty.  As  soon  as  he  found 
himself  free,  he  renewed  the  war  with  great 
vigor ;  but  he  was  taken  ill,  and  died  in  1345. 
The  Countess  was  no  more  dismayed  by  the 
death,  than  she  had  been  by  the  imprisonment, 
of  her  husband.  She  fought  many  battles,  and 
put  to  flight  the  army  of  the  Count  De  Blois, 
who  was  wounded  himself,  taken  prisoner,  and 
conducted  to  England.  His  wife,  Jane,  endowed 
with  courage  equal  to  that  of  the  Countess  De 
Montfort,  took  up  arms  also ;  and  these  two 
heroines,  continuing  the  war  for  a  long  time, 
both  distinguished  themselves  by  prodigies  of 
valor. 

Another  female,  equally  extraordinary,  has 
been  celebrated  in  history  in  a  similar  manner. 
The  same  Philip  VI.,  under  pretence  of  giving  a 


OLIVER    CLISSON.  141 

tournament,  had  attracted  some  nobles  from  Brit- 
tany to  Paris,  among  whom  was  Oliver  Clisson. 
As  soon  as  they  arrived,  they  were  arrested  upon 
a  slight  suspicion  that  they  had  held  corres- 
pondence with  the  English ;  and  Philip  ordered 
them  to  be  beheaded  immediately,  without  even 
the  form  of  trial.  This  violation  of  justice  made 
King  Edward  renew  the  war ;  and  the  widow  of 
Clisson,  to  avenge  the  murder  of  her  husband, 
sold  her  jewels,  fitted  out  three  vessels,  crossed 
the  sea,  landed  in  Normandy,  took  many  castles, 
and  set  many  villages  on  fire.  She  was  always 
found  amidst  the  greatest  dangers  and  horrors 
of  the  war,  with  a  sword  in  one  hand  and  a  torch 
in  the  other,  exciting  to  carnage,  and  encourag- 
ing her  people.  She  had  a  son  twelve  years  of 
age,  whom  she  sent  to  London  to  be  in  safety ; 
and,  as  soon  as  he  was  old  enough  to  bear  arms, 
she  excited  him  to  distinguish  himself  by  great 
exploits.  She  had  the  satisfaction  of  seeing  him 
prove  himself  the  worthy  son  of  such  a- mother ; 
and  the  battle  of  Aurai,  fought  in  1364,  in  which 
he  lost  an  eye,  was  gained  in  a  great  degree  by 
his  valor.  This  battle  decided  the  fate  of  the 
Dutchy  of  Brittany,  in  favor  of  the  young  Count 
De  Montfort.  Philip  VI.  died  at  the  age  of 
fifty-seven,  and  was  succeeded  by  his  eldest  son 
John  II.,  surnamed  the  Good. 


142  JOHN    II. 

At  the  very  commencement  of  his  reign,  John, 
notwithstanding  his  title  of  "  Good,"  unjustly 
put  to  death  the  Count  D'Eu,  Constable  of 
France.  This  execution  alienated  all  hearts 
from  John,  and  brought  upon  him  many  misfor- 
tunes. Among  others,  was  a  renewal  of  hostili- 
ties with  England.  Edward  III.  landed  in 
France  with  an  army,  and  sent  his  son,  the 
Black  Prince,  to  join  the  Duke  of  Lancaster  in 
Guyenne,  a  province  in  the  south  of  the  king- 
dom. All  the  surrounding  country  was  laid 
waste,  according  to  the  cruel  custom  of  those 
days  ;  and  the  Prince,  with  an  army  of  twelve 
thousand  men,  spread  devastation  and  terror  as 
far  as  the  province  of  Berry,  in  the  midst  of  the 
kingdom.  Here  he  found  the  country  before 
him  too  well  guarded  to  permit  his  farther  ad- 
vance :  and,  as  the  bridges  behind  were  broken 
down,  he  could  not  retreat.  In  this  state  of 
perplexity,  the  King  of  France  advanced  toward 
him  with  an  army  of  eighty  thousand  men,  and 
they  came  in  sight  of  each  other  near  the  town 
of  Poitiers,  in  September,  1356. 

It  was  impossible  for  the  Prince  of  Wales  to 
escape  from  so  large  an  army  ;  he  therefore  pre- 
pared for  a  battle  with  all  the  courage  of  a  hero 
and  the  prudence  of  a  skilful  general ;  and  then 
endeavored  to  negotiate  with  the  French  King, 


BATTLE    OP    POITIERS.  143 

from  a  consciousness  of  his  inferiority  as  to  num- 
bers, and  a  desire  to  avoid  shedding  the  blood 
of  his  soldiers  uselessly.  He  offered  to  agree 
to  any  terms  that  would  not  be  dishonorable  to 
himself  and  to  England ;  promised  to  give  up 
all  the  conquests  he  had  just  made ;  and  not  to 
serve  against  France  for  seven  years  to  come. 
But  King  John  insisted  that  the  Prince  and  a 
hundred  of  his  nobles  should  surrender  them- 
selves prisoners,  in  which  case  he  promised  to 
let  the  rest  of  the  English  army  go  safely  home. 
The  Prince  refused  this  offer  with  disdain,  and 
declared  that,  whatever  fortune  might  happen 
to  him,  his  country  should  never  be  ashamed  of 
his  conduct. 

All  hope  of  avoiding  a  battle  was  now  at  an 
end,  and  the  English  passed  the  night  in  pre- 
paring for  it.  The  prudence  of  the  Prince  made 
amends  for  the  smallness  of  his  army ;  and  the 
impetuosity  of  the  French,  joined  to  their  too 
great  confidence  of  success,  brought  them  into 
dangers  which  they  did  not  foresee.  The  Eng- 
lish were  so  posted  that  they  could  be  reached 
only  through  a  narrow  lane,  covered  by  hedges 
on  each  side ;  and,  while  part  of  the  French 
army  advanced  along  the  lane,  a  body  of  Eng- 
lish archers,  who  were  behind  the  hedges,  let 
fly  their  arrows  on  each  side,  and  killed  a  great 


144  JOHN    II. 

many  of  them.  Those  who  got  safe  to  the  end 
of  the  lane,  found  the  Black  Prince  at  the  head 
of  some  of  the  bravest  of  his  soldiers,  ready  to  re- 
ceive them.  They  were  consequently  beaten  ;  one 
of  their  commanders  was  killed,  the  other  taken 
prisoner ;  and  the  rest  of  the  French,  who  were 
still  in  the  lane,  fled  back  upon  their  own  army, 
where  they  threw  everything  into  confusion. 

The  sudden  retreat  of  the  Dauphin  (which  is 
the  title  of  the  eldest  son  of  the  King  of  France) 
increased  the  terror  and  the  disorder,  so  that 
King  John  soon  found  himself  exposed  to  the 
greatest  danger.  His  soldiers  were  killed 
around  him  ;  his  nobles  fell  by  his  side  one  af- 
ter another ;  and  his  favorite  son  Philip,  who 
was  scarcely  fourteen  years  old,  received  a  wound 
while  fighting  valiantly  in  defence  of  his  father. 
The  King  himself,  who  performed  prodigies  of 
valor,  and  was  wounded  in  the  face,  being  quite 
exhausted  and  covered  with  blood,  might  easily 
have  been  slain  ;  but  every  English  gentleman, 
desirous  of  taking  alive  the  royal  prisoner,  spar- 
ed him  in  the  action,  prayed  him  to  surrender, 
and  offered  him  his  life.  Many  who  attempted 
to  seize  him  suffered  for  their  boldness,  and  he 
overthrew  all  who  dared  to  approach  him.  He 
continued  to  call  out  for  the  Prince  of  Wales, 
and  seemed  unwilling  to  become  prisoner  to  any 


THE    KING    OF    FRANCE    TAKEN.         145 

person  of  lower  rank  ;  till  at  last,  hearing  that 
the  Prince  was  at  a  distance,  he  yielded  himself 
to  a  French  knight,  who,  under  unfortunate  cir- 
cumstances, had  been  exiled  from  his  own  coun- 
try, and  had  entered  into  the  service  of  the 
English. 

The  Black  Prince  had  been  carried  away  in 
pursuit  of  the  fugitive  enemy  ;  and  on  finding 
the  field  entirely  clear,  had  ordered  a  tent  to  be 
pitched.  Here,  as  he  refreshed  himself  after 
the  toils  of  battle,  he  inquired  anxiously  as  to 
the  fate  of  the  French  monarch,  and  despatch- 
ed a  nobleman  to  bring  him  tidings.  This  no- 
bleman arrived  just  in  time  to  save  the  life  of 
the  royal  captive,  which  at  that  moment  was 
exposed  to  greater  danger  than  it  had  been  dur- 
ing the  action.  The  English  had  taken  him  by 
force  from  the  French  knight,  whose  party  claim- 
ed the  honor  of  detaining  him  ;  and  some  bru- 
tal soldiers,  rather  than  give  up  their  prize,  had 
threatened  to  put  him  to  death.  The  nobleman 
whom  the  Prince  had  sent,  overawed  both  par- 
ties ;  and  approaching  the  King  with  great  re- 
spect, offered  to  conduct  him  to  the  Prince's 
tent.  On  his  approach,  Edward  went  out  to 
meet  the  captive  monarch  with  every  mark  of 
respect ;  endeavored  to  comfort  him  in  his  mis- 
fortunes ;  gave  him  the  praise  due  to  his  valor, 
M  13 


146  JOHN    II. 

and  ascribed  the  victory  to  a  superior  Provi- 
dence rather  than  to  any  merit  of  his  own. 

The  behavior  of  John  was  worthy  of  such 
generous  treatment ;  his  misfortunes  did  not 
make  him  forget  that  he  was  a  King,  and  he  was 
greatly  affected  by  Edward's  generosity  to  him, 
Baying  that  his  own  honor  was  still  unsullied, 
and  that  it  was  a  great  consolation  to  him,  that 
he  had  fallen  into  the  hands  of  the  most  valiant 
and  virtuous  prince  in  the  world.  Edward  or- 
dered a  repast  to  be  prepared  for  his  royal  pris- 
oner, and  served  himself  at  table,  as  if  he  had 
been  one  of  his  attendants.  He  stood  at  the 
King's  back,  and  would  not  take  a  place  at  the 
table,  declaring  that  he  was  a  subject,  and  knew 
the  distance  between  his  own  rank  and  that  of 
royal  majesty  :  all  the  English  knights  follow- 
ed the  example  of  their  prince,  and  treated  their 
prisoner  in  the  same  generous  manner. 

After  concluding  a  truce  with  France  for  two 
years,  the  Black  Prince  conducted  the  King  to 
England,  where  he  was  met  by  all  ranks  of  peo- 
ple at  his  landing.  The  prisoner  was  dressed 
in  royal  robes,  and  mounted  on  a  white  horse, 
distinguished  for  its  beauty  and  size,  and  richly 
caparisoned :  the  conqueror  rode  by  his  side, 
plainly  clad,  on  a  small  black  pony :  and  thus 
they  passed  through  the  streets  of  London. 


HIS    HONORABLE    CONDUCT.  147 

The  Prince  presented  the  King  of  France  to 
his  father,  who  advanced  to  meet  him,  and  re- 
ceived him  as  if  he  had  been  a  neighboring  sov- 
ereign come  to  pay  him  a  visit.  After  some 
time,  John  grew  tired  of  his  captivity,  and  was 
so  humbled  by  his  ill-fortune,  that  he  had  the 
weakness  to  conclude  a  disgraceful  treaty  with 
the  English,  which  would  have  ruined  his  king- 
dom ;  but  the  Dauphin  and  the  nobles  would  not 
agree  to  it,  and  Edward  went  to  France  again 
with  a  large  army,  and  committed  great  ravages 
all  over  the  country.  At  last,  a  peace  was  con- 
cluded, part  of  the  conditions  of  which  were, 
that  France  should  pay,  at  different  times,  one 
million  and  a  half  of  sterling  money  for  the  ran- 
som of  its  King,  and  that  the  King  of  England 
should  retain  many  of  the  French  provinces, 
which  he  had  conquered.  Forty  hostages,  or 
persons  given  in  pledge,  to  be  kept  till  the  terms 
of  the  treaty  were  fulfilled,  were  to  be  sent  to 
England,  among  whom  were  the  two  sons  of 
John,  and  the  Dukes  of  Orleans  and  Bourbon. 
John  confirmed  this  treaty  most  willingly,  after 
which  he  was  restored  to  his  people ;  and  he 
executed  the  conditions  with  the  greatest  fideli- 
ty ;  for  he  was  a  strict  observer  of  his  word, 
and  used  to  say,  that,  "  if  truth  and  justice 
were  banished  from  the  rest  of  the  world,  they 


148  DEATH    OF    JOHN    II. 

ought  to  be  found  in  the  mouth  and  heart  of  all 
Kings." 

About  three  years  after  John  had  left  Eng- 
land, one  of  his  sons  returned  to  France  be- 
fore the  time  for  his  remaining  as  a  hostage 
had  expired,  and  without  King  Edward's  leave, 
protesting  that  he  would  not  go  back  again. 
This  conduct  gave  the  King  of  France  so  much 
uneasiness,  that  he  determined  to  give  himself 
up  instead  of  his  son,  and,  contrary  to  the  ad- 
vice of  his  counsellors,  who  did  all  in  their 
power  to  dissuade  him  from  such  a  step,  he 
went  to  England,  where  King  Edward  received 
him  with  the  greatest  magnificence  and  respect : 
but,  a  few  days  after  his  return  to  London,  he 
was  taken  ill,  and  died,  at  the  age  of  fifty-five, 
at  the  palace  of  the  Savoy  in  the  Strand. 

John  of  France  was  more  unfortunate  than 
John  of  England ;  but  the  French  King  gave 
honor  to  misfortune,  and  is  remembered  with 
pity  and  esteem.  The  English  monarch  dis- 
graced his  fate,  and  caused  his  own  sorrows  ; 
hence  he  is  recollected  with  scorn  and  detesta- 
tion. Observe,  I  beseech  you,  that  disaster 
may  pain  and  humble,  but  cannot  disgrace. 

His  conqueror,  the  Black  Prince,  survived 
him  about  twelve  years.  To  the  great  grief  of 
the  nation,  this  valiant  Prince  died  of  consump- 


DEATH    OF    EDWARD    III.  149 

tion  in  the  forty-sixth  year  of  his  age,  leaving 
behind  him  a  character  without  blemish.  He 
was  wise,  merciful,  brave ;  and  promised  to 
have  been  as  great  in  peace  as  he  had  proved 
himself  in  war. 

Edward  III.  soon  followed  his  accomplished 
son  to  the  grave,  broken-hearted  with  his  irre- 
parable loss.  He  died  in  the  sixty-fifth  year 
of  his  age,  and  fifty-first  of  his  reign,  leaving 
his  kingdom  to  his  grandson  Richard  II.,  a 
youth  about  eleven  years  of  age,  and  son  of  the 
Black  Prince. 

Just  before  Edward  died,  the  Popes  quitted 
Avignon,  which  had  been  for  seventy  years  the 
seat  of  papal  dominion,  and  returned  to  Rome. 
Pope  Gregory  XI.  was  the  pontiff  who  made 
this  removal. 

It  was  in  the  reign  of  Edward  III.  that  the 
business  of  the  courts  of  law  began  to  be  con- 
ducted in  the  English  tongue.  Until  that 
period,  the  French  language  had  been  used  in 
all  legal  proceedings. 

In  his  reign,  the  Order  of  the  Garter  was 
instituted,  of  which  some  account  has  been 
given  in  the  "  English  Stories." 


150  DAVID   KING    OF   SCOTLAND. 

£ffhrj»I  <o£i»  ?w  '^o.  -wis^iitxw^ivft  s-.i  <:; 

all     .rf'-'iriol  :    Ijr-.lij  •>     !'i:i*   f»a.      -.« 

CHAPTER  XXVIII. 

GUNPOWDER    FIRST    USED. 

WHEN  Edward  III.  began  his  reign,  David 
II.  was  King  of  Scotland ;  but  the  English 
monarch  caused  Edward  Baliol  to  be  crowned 
King  of  the  Scots  at  Scone.  Baliol  was  however 
soon  deprived  of  his  crown,  and  expelled  ;  and 
David  II.,  making  war  against  England,  was 
defeated  by  an  army  commanded  by  Queen  Phi- 
lippa,  and  carried  prisoner  to  London.  Thus 
two  monarchs  were  captives  in  this  metropolis 
at  the  same  time  ;  but  David  recovered  his  lib- 
erty. Sir  Henry  Picard,  Lord  Mayor  of  Lon- 
don, boasted  that  four  monarchs  had  dined  to- 
gether at  his  table  ;  the  Kings  of  England, 
Scotland,  France,  and  Cyprus  ;  of  whom  the 
three  latter  were  captives. 

Cyprus  is  an  island  in  the  Mediterranean 
Sea,  famous  in  poetry  as  the  supposed  residence 
of  Venus  the  goddess  of  beauty.  In  some 
verses,  it  is  called  Paphos  ;  hence  Venus  is  de- 
nominated the  Paphian  Queen.  I  need  not  tell 
you  that  this  is  all  a  fable.  The  early  history 
of  Cyprus  is  highly  interesting.  The  Saracens 
conquered  it  in  more  modern  times  ;  during  the 


THE  MARINER'S  COMPASS.  151 

Crusades,  the  Venetians  made  themselves  mas- 
ters of  it,  and  continued  to  rule  it  in  Edward's 
time,  as  they  also  did  for  many  years  after- 
ward. 

The  Turks,  who  first  entered  Europe  about 
1352,  and  gradually  obtained  extensive  domin- 
ion in  the  eastern  part  of  it,  seized  the  island 
of  Cyprus  in  1571,  almost  two  hundred  years 
afterward,  and  possess  it  to  this  day. 

The  world  was  now  beginning  to  be  enriched 
with  various  useful  inventions.  At  Naples,  the 
mariner's  compass  had  been  discovered ;  a  val- 
uable invention  for  sailors.  You  know,  that 
the  loadstone  has  the  property  of  always  point- 
ing toward  the  North ;  this  surprising  prop- 
erty it  can  communicate  to  steel ;  and  you  can 
imagine  that,  by  lightly  hanging  a  steel  needle, 
charged  with  the  magnetism  of  the  loadstone, 
in  a  box,  and  seeing  which  way  it  points,  the 
north  will  be  always  known  ;  and  when  the 
north  is  accurately  known,  the  other  quarters 
can  be  easily  ascertained.  Thus  you  plainly 
see  how  easy  it  is,  with  such  assistance,  to 
guide  a  ship  across  the  wide  and  trackless 
ocean.  Before  the  discovery  of  this  property 
in  the  loadstone,  and  before  the  invention  of  its 
use  in  a  compass,  sailors  directed  their  course 
by  watching  the  sun,  and  the  moon,  and  the 


152  INVENTION    OF    GUNPOWDER. 

stars.  Tn  cloudy  weather,  this  observation  was 
impossible  :  hence  the  immense  advantage  gain- 
ed by  a  permanent  and  unchangeable  guide. 
Do  ask  to  look  at  a  compass. 

The  discovery  of  gunpowder  produced  less 
obvious  and  certain  advantages.  It  has  indeed 
been  said  that  wars  have  been  less  frequent  and 
less  sanguinary  since  the  invention  of  this  death- 
scattering  mixture.  Besides  ponderous  ma- 
chines to  throw  stones  and  beat  down  walls,  the 
Greeks  produced  a  kind  of  liquid  fire,  which 
they  managed  to  throw  blazing  into  the  midst 
of  their  enemies.  Close  combat  between  man 
and  man,  with  swords,  javelins,  clubs  and  spears, 
must  have  been  terrible.  The  shock  of  a  can- 
non ball,  and  wounds  from  muskets  and  pistols, 
must  more  easily  and  instantly  kill,  and  the 
wounds  given  by  them,  when  not  fatal  may  be 
less  lacerated  and  severe. 

Still  it  is  difficult  to  consider  the  invention  of 
gunpowder  as  a  benefit  to  mankind.  The  Chi- 
nese pretend  that  they  had  discovered  it  many 
centuries  before  Schwartz,  a  German,  is  suppos- 
ed to  have  first  made  it  known  in  Europe,  about 
1330.  Edward  III.  was  the  first  English  mon- 
arch who  used  it :  at  the  battle  of  Crecy,  his 
artillery  is  said  to  have  done  dreadful  execu- 
tion. Perhaps  the  horror  of  so  terrible  an  in- 


GUNPOWDER    FIRST    USED.  153 

strument  of  slaughter  may  have  occasionally 
prevented  a  hasty  and  thoughtless  commence- 
ment of  warfare. 

You  will  perhaps  ask,  how  are  these  various 
discoveries  in  arts  and  sciences  made  ?  Schwartz 
was  a  chemist ;  and,  probably  in  mixing  differ- 
ent ingredients,  and  trying  ingenious  experi- 
ments, he  found  that  sulphur,  nitre,  and  char- 
coal, mixed  together,  when  touched  with  fire, 
produced  effects  that  might  render  the  mixture 
useful  for  some  purposes.  It  is  thus  that  most 
discoveries  are  made  ;  by  accident  perhaps,  but 
not  by  chance. 

There  is  no  such  thing  as  chance  ;  for  certain 
causes  must  produce  certain  consequences. 
Think  a  little.  Is  it  not  so  ?  By  close  obser- 
vation on  what  happens,  and  judicious  reflection 
on  what  may  be  made  to  happen,  some  inven- 
tions are  produced ;  often  in  prosecuting  one 
discovery,  another,  very  unexpected,  and,  it  may 
be,  much  more  valuable,  is  found  out. 

Thus  you  see,  a  person  of  observation  and 
reflection,  who  carefully  exerts  his  senses  and 
faculties,  is  very  likely  to  find  out  something 
useful  and  before  unknown,  or  to  contrive  some- 
thing new  and  ingenious. 

Do  pray,  therefore,  acquire  the  habit  of  see- 
ing what  you  look  at,  attending  to  what  you 


154  CHARLES    V.,    THE    WISE, 

* 

hear,  reflecting  upon  what  you  observe,  remem- 
bering what  you  read. 


CHAPTER  XXIX. 

CHARLES    V.,    THE    WISE,    KING    OF    FRANCE. 

You  remember  that  the  unfortunate  John, 
King  of  France,  died  a  prisoner  in  England. 
His  son,  Charles  V.,  surnamed  the  Wise,  suc- 
ceeded him,  and  so  well  deserved  the  epithet 
bestowed  on  him,  that  I  think  it  right  you  should 
hear  something  of  him. 

France  was  in  a  sad  condition  when  Charles 
ascended  the  throne.  Into  this  misery  a  feeble 
and  thoughtless  monarch  had  plunged  the  na- 
tion ;  from  this  misery  a  wise  and  active  sov- 
ereign rescued  it. 

I  hope,  you  do  not  fail  to  observe,  how  fre- 
quently the  conduct  of  a  single  person  changes 
the  fate  of  an  empire.  If  such  are  the  conse- 
quences of  individual  exertion  in  states  and 
kingdoms,  the  effect  caused,  in  private  and  do- 
mestic circles,  by  the  virtue  or  the  vice  of  one 
human  being,  must  be  greatly  more  decisive  and 
influential. 

Charles,  collecting  an  army,  compelled  his  re- 


KING    OF    FRANCE.  155 

bellious  subjects  to  yield  to  his  authority,  and 
thus  restored  tranquillity  to  his  country.  He 
next  turned  his  forces  against  foreign  foes,  and 
drove  the  English  from  almost  all  their  French 
possessions.  He  compelled  the  King  of  Na- 
varre, a  troublesome  neighbor,  to  sue  for  peace  ; 
and  obliged  all  turbulent  persons  to  quit  the 
kingddm. 

Peace  thus  restored,  Charles  devoted  himself 
to  the  domestic  improvement  of  his  subjects, 
patronized  literature,  and  encouraged  the  arts 
of  life.  To  fulfil  his  various  duties,  he  careful- 
ly regulated  his  time.  Without  judicious  regu- 
lation of  time,  nothing  valuable  can  be  executed. 
With  a  wise  arrangement  of  the  hours  of  every 
day,  everything  may  be  performed;  for  every 
business  leisure  can  be  found. 

Charles  never  appeared  at  the  head  of  his 
armies,  because  his  health  would  not  allow  him 
to  bear  fatigue ;  but  he  chose  skilful  men  to 
command  them,  and  always  acknowledged  and 
rewarded  their  services.  One  of  his  greatest 
generals,  and  in  whom  he  placed  the  most  con- 
fidence, was  Bertrand  du  Guesclin,  a  knight 
from  Brittany,  who  had  distinguished  himself 
in  the  reign  of  King  John,  and  whose  courage 
was  undaunted.  When  a  child,  he  was  so 
violent  in  his  disposition,  that  everybody  dis- 


156  CHARLES    V.,    THE    WISE, 

liked  him,  and  even  his  own  parents  could  not 
manage  him;  his  mother  used  to  say,  that  he 
was  the  naughtiest  boy  in  the  world,  because 
he  was  always  fighting  and  quarrelling  with 
every  one  around  him ;  and  that  his  father  and 
she  should  rejoice  to  see  him  dead.  But  this 
ungovernable  boy  grew  up  to  be  a  great  hero, 
and  saved  his  country  by  his  valor  and  skill. 
The  wars  in  Brittany  still  continuing  between 
the  Count  De  Blois  and  the  young  Count  De 
Montfort,  of  whom  I  have  spoken  before,  the 
King  of  France  sent  Du  Guesclin  with  an 
army  te  the  assistance  of  the  former ;  but,  as 
he  would  not  follow  the  general's  advice,  he 
was  killed  in  the  battle  of  Auray,  and  Du 
Guesclin  was  also  taken  prisoner,  covered  with 
wounds.  Charles  paid  a  large  sum  of  money 
for  his  liberation,  and  then  sent  him  with  an 
army  into  Spain,  where  Peter  the  Cruel  and 
his  brother  Henry  were  carrying  on  a  destruc- 
tive war  against  each  other.  Du  Guesclin 
conquered  all  before  him ;  and  Peter  fled  to 
Edward  the  Black  Prince,  who  was  then  in 
Guienne,  and  persuaded  him  to  assist  him  with 
his  army.  Edward  accordingly  repaired  to 
Spain,  where  he  gained  a  great  victory,  and 
took  Du  Guesclin  prisoner  again ;  but  he  after- 
ward restored  him  to  liberty,  and  he  returned 


KING    OF    FRANCE.  157 

to  France.  Some  of  the  courtiers  at  last  grew 
jealous  of  him,  and  tried  to  set  the  King 
against  him  ;  in  which  they  succeeded  so  well, 
that  Charles,  believing  their  wicked  insinua- 
tions, wrote  a  letter  to  his  old  and  faithful  gen- 
eral, full  of  reproaches  and  complaints.  The 
hero,  deeply  grieved,  resigned  the  command 
of  the  army ;  but  the  princes  of  France 
and  many  of  the  great  nobles  espoused  his 
cause,  and  convinced  the  King  of  the  falsehood 
of  the  courtiers.  Charles,  therefore,  acknow- 
ledged his  error,  and  sent  two  of  the  royal 
dukes  to  Du  Guesclin,  inviting  him  to  return 
to  court.  This,  at  first,  he  was  unwilling  to 
do ;  but  he  afterward  consented,  and  the  King 
and  he  were  reconciled.  Charles  then  sent 
him  to  command  an  army  against  the  English 
in  the  south  of  France ;  but  he  never  saw  his 
master  again,  for  he  was  taken  ill  while  besieg- 
ing a  fortress,  and  died  at  the  age  of  sixty-six. 
Charles  lamented  his  loss  very  much ;  and,  as 
a  mark  of  his  gratitude  and  esteem,  ordered 
him  to  be  buried  in  the  church  of  St.  Denis, 
where  he  raised  a  monument  to-  his  memory, 
near  the  tomb  he  had  prepared  for  himself. 
The  King  did  not  long  survive  the  hero  who 
had  restored  the  glory  of  France ;  for  he  died 
the  same  year,  in  consequence  of  poison  given 

N 


158  CHARLES    V.,    THE    WISE, 

him  when  Dauphin.  A  German  physician  had 
stopped  the  progress  of  the  poison  at  that  time, 
by  making  a  wound  in  his  arm  to  draw  it  off, 
hut  had  declared  that  whenever  the  wound 
should  heal,  it  would  cause  his  death ;  which 
was  really  the  case.  Charles  was  beloved  and 
regretted  by  the  whole  kingdom,  and  truly 
deserved  the  title  of  WISE,  which  was  bestowed 
upon  him  by  his  own  subjects,  and  recognized 
by  all  the  world. 

From  a  very  clever  book,  I  will  extract,  for 
your  amusement,  a  most  interesting  and  in- 
structive passage  relative  to  this  monarch. 

"  Charles  always  rose  at  six  o'clock  ;  and, 
having  performed  his  devotions,  gave  audience 
to  all  who  presented  themselves,  rich  or  poor, 
receiving  their  petitions,  and  reading  them 
himself.  At  ten  o'clock  he  dined,  spending  a 
very  short  time  at  table,  and  eating  only  of 
one  dish :  he  drank  his  wine  mixed  with  water. 
During  dinner,  he  was  instructed  by  the  dis- 
course of  some  wise  and  virtuous  man.  After 
dinner,  he  gave  audience  to  the  foreign  ambas- 
sadors :  he  next  admitted  his  ministers,  and 
learned  from  them  the  state  of  the  kingdom. 
At  one  o'clock,  he  retired  to  his  chamber  for 
repose ;  an  hour  afterward,  his  chamberlains 
entered,  and  entertained  him  with  conversation : 


KING    OP    FRANCE.  159 

at  three,  he  attended  vespers,  and  afterward 
walked  in  the  garden.  On  his  return,  the 
Queen  brought  in  his  children,  whom  he  inter- 
rogated respecting  their  progress  in  education. 
In  winter,  instead  of  walking,  he  employed 
himself  in  reading  the  Holy  Scriptures.  He 
took  little  supper,  and  went  to  bed  early."  At 
home,  he  dressed  and  appeared  like  a  private 
man :  abroad,  he  was  apparelled,  and  behaved, 
like  a  king.  This  was  as  it  should  be ;  for 
home  is  the  place  for  the  mind  and  the  heart 
to  be  gratified.  In  public,  rank  must  be  sus- 
tained; and  great  characters,  by  dress  and 
equipage,  must  encourage  manufactures  and 
patronize  the  arts. 

If  you  reflect  on  the  journal  of  this  sensible 
King,  you  will  gain  much  and  various  informa- 
tion. You  will  obtain  "an  insight  into  the  cus- 
toms and  manners  of  those  times,  when  ten  in 
the  morning  was  the  hour  of  dinner  for  great 
people.  Now-a-days,  you  know,  fashionable 
folks  dine  toward  night. 

You  will  perceive  how  one  occupation  follow- 
ed another  ;  and  how  every  claim  of  public  and 
private  duty  had  its  appointed  hour.  For  a 
King,  a  statesman,  or  any  illustrious  public 
character,  the  appropriation  of  time  must  be 
difficult  of  arrangement,  because  many  duties 


160  CASIMIR    III.    OP    POLAND. 

claim  attention.  To  such  persons,  especially, 
methodizing  the  business  of  the  day  must  be 
indispensable. 

In  private  life,  the  regulation  of  time  must 
be  more  easy  ;  and  I  do  anxiously  hope  you 
will  never  yield  to  the  listless,  desultory  occu- 
pations of  irregulated  time. 

Arrange  your  hours  so  as  to  fulfil  every  ne- 
cessary duty  ;  and  if  your  station  does  not  de- 
mand the  whole  day  to  be  spent  in  business, 
make  business  for  yourselves.  Devote  your 
leisure  to  some  useful  or  elegant  pursuit.  Dig- 
nify existence  by  active  and  unremitted  em- 
ployment. Let  yourselves  or  your  fellow-crea- 
tures be  pleased  or  benefited  by  your  exertions. 
"  Let  the  world  be  the  better  for  your  having 
lived." 

You  will  observe  that  every  nation  boasts  of 
a  celebrated  monarch.  Casimir  III.  was  the 
hero  of  the  history  of  Poland.  Casimir  died 
just  ten  years  after  Charles  V.  of  France  began 
to  reign. 

Casimir  is  celebrated  as  the  great  legislator 
of  Poland  :  he  so  earnestly  encouraged  the 
building  of  stately  edifices,  that  it  was  said  of 
him,  "  he  found  Poland  of  wood,  and  left  her  of 
marble."  He  founded  the  Academy  of  Cracow, 


CASIMIR    III.    OF    POLAND.  161 

and  in  every  possible  way  improved  the  condi- 
tion of  his  subjects. 

It  is  remarked  of  him,  that  "  he  considered 
war  as  a  matter  of  necessity,  not  of  choice  ;  as 
the  means  of  safety,  rather  than  of  glory  :"  an 
admirable  sentiment,  which  cannot  be  too  ear- 
nestly studied  by  kings  and  statesmen.  The 
peasants  are  in  general,  and  were  in  that  age 
especially,  a  most  oppressed  class  of  people  in 
the  northern  states  of  Europe.  Casimir  was 
very  solicitous  to  amend  the  situation  of  his 
peasantry,  and  in  many  ways  softened  the  evils 
of  vassalage.  His  nobles  for  this  called  him,  in 
mockery,  Rex  Rusticorum,  King  of  the  Peas- 
ants ;  but  posterity  will  repeat  the  appellation, 
as  most  honorable  to  the  bearer  of  it. 

Casimir  was  favorable  to  the  Jews  ;  doubt- 
less, from  a  wish  of  enriching  his  kingdom  by 
the  industry  and  opulence  of  this  persecuted 
race.  He  allowed  them  to  settle,  in  Poland, 
where  they  afterward  established  themselves  in 
considerable  numbers. 

After  reigning  forty  years,  and  almost  every 
year  augmenting  the  comfort  and  tranquillity 
of  his  subjects,  Casimir  died  of  a  fall  from  his 
horse  whilst  hunting.  He  was  buried  in  the 
principal  church  of  Cracow ;  a  city  which,  in 
ancient  days,  was  the  capital  of  Poland.  When 
14 


162  RICHARD    II. 

Mr.  Coxe  visited  his  tomb,  he  approached  it, 
he  says,  with  reverence  ;  not  on  account  of  the 
learning  or  valor  of  Casimir,  but  because  he  had 
given  good  laws  to  his  people  and  improved  the 
condition  of  his  peasantry. 

Casimir  succeeded  his  father,  Ladislaus,  and 
in  him  ended  the  house  of  Piast. 


CHAPTER  XXX. 

RICHARD    II. 

THE  son  of  the  Black  Prince,  Richard  II., 
succeeded  his  grandfather  to  the  throne  of 
England,  when  he  was  only  eleven  years  old. 
At  the  age  of  sixteen,  he  showed  a  spirit  and 
resolution  worthy  of  his  illustrious  father. 

A  poll-tax  (that  is,  a  head-tax,  or  so  much  for 
every  head)  was  ordered  to  be  collected.  The 
poor  people  did  not  understand,  nor  did  they 
like,  this  tax ;  and  they  resisted  its  payment. 
Wat  Tyler,  a  blacksmith,  did  all  in  his  power 
to  increase  the  tumult,  and  was  especially  angry 
because  all  people  were  to  pay  the  same  sum, 
the  poor  as  much  as  the  rich. 

The  young  King  proposed  to  have  a  confer- 
ence with  the  principal  insurgents,  and  sailed 


RICHARD    II.  163 

down  the  river  Thames  in  a  barge  for  that  pur- 
pose ;  but,  when  he  attempted  to  land,  the  mob 
was  so  riotous,  that  he  was  forced  to  take  shel- 
ter in  the  Tower. 

Although  some  concessions  were  made,  the 
populace  continued  very  noisy  and  turbulent ; 
and  a  party  of  them,  under  Wat  Tyler,  met  the 
King  in  Smithfield.  Tyler  advanced  alone,  and 
spoke  in  so  haughty  a  manner,  that  the  Lord 
Mayor  of  London  struck  him  from  his  horse, 
and  he  was  instantly  killed  by  the  other  royal 
attendants. 

The  populace  were  enraged  at  the  death  of 
their  chief.  The  King,  seeing  their  fury,  and 
that  they  were  about  to  avenge  themselves, 
with  admirable  presence  of  mind  rode  into  the 
midst  of  them,  calling  out,  "  How,  my  people  ! 
will  you  kill  your  King  ?  Do  you  mourn  your 
leader  ?  Cheer  up  ;  I  will  be  your  leader,  and 
grant  you  all  you  desire." 

There  was  a  good  sense,  a  genuine  bravery, 
and  firmness  in  this  action,  that  leads  one  to 
think  Richard  was  worthy  of  his  father,  and 
owed  his  errors  to  improper  management,  a  bad 
education,  and  evil  or  silly  counsellors. 

He  gave  another  proof  of  spirit,  when,  being 
amidst  his  council,  he  asked  what  was  his  age  ? 
Being  told  that  he  was  twenty-two,  he  surpris- 


164  RICHARD    II. 

ed  the  lords  by  saying,  "  Then  I  am  old  enough 
to  govern ;  and  will  prove  my  capacity  to  do  so 
by  removing  the  tutors,  who  have  too  long  ruled 
me." 

The  Duke  of  Hereford  accused  the  Duke  of 
Norfolk  of  treason,  and,  according  to  the  custom 
of  those  barbarous  times,  agreed  to  fight  in  sin- 
gle combat,  to  prove  the  truth  of  his  charge. 
The  King  was  present  when  the  meeting  took 
place,  and  stopped  its  proceeding  to  bloodshed, 
by  passing  sentence  of  banishment  upon  both 
the  combatants  ;  the  Duke  of  Norfolk  for  life  ; 
the  Duke  of  Hereford  for  ten  years,  which  was 
afterward  reduced  to  six  years.  As  Norfolk 
had  been  accused  of  treason,  and  was  probably 
guilty  of  it,  his  banishment  was  perhaps  only  a 
just  punishment ;  and  as  Hereford  was  the 
King's  relation,  Richard  might  award  him  a 
slight  chastisement,  to  escape  the  charge  of  par- 
tiality, as  well  as  to  humble  the  spirit  of  that 
haughty  noble. 

Richard  II.  was  unfortunate  ;  he  is  generally 
mentioned  with  contempt.  There  is  something 
in  one's  nature  that  makes  one  always  anxious 
to  defend  the  unfortunate,  and  soften  censure 
against  the  feeble.  I  dare  say  you  all  feel  this. 
It  is  very  right  to  applaud  merit  and  censure 
wickedness.  It  is  quite  as  right,  and  much  more 


RICHARD    II.  165 

agreeable  to  find  out  some  unnoticed  excellence 
in  those  who  can  no  longer  vindicate  themselves, 
and  who  may  have  heen  falsely  condemned. 

This  very  Hereford,  on  hi"s  father's  death,  be- 
came Duke  of  Lancaster.  His  father,  John  of 
Gaunt,  was  the  third  son  of  Edward  III. ;  con- 
sequently, Hereford  was  Edward's  grandson, 
and  Richard's  cousin.  As  Duke  of  Lancaster, 
he  returned  from  France,  and  claimed  the  throne 
of  England.  Richard  in  vain  sought  to  oppose 
his  army.  This  unfortunate  monarch  was  taken 
prisoner,  and,  after  a  short  confinement  in  Pom- 
fret  Castle,  was  murdered  there,  in  the  thirty- 
fourth  year  of  his  age.  He  made  a  brave 
defence  against  the  ruffians  sent  to  despatch 
him,  and  was  not  killed  till  he  had  laid  four  of 
them  dead  at  his  feet.  The  apartment  in  which 
this  tragedy  was  acted  is  shown  to  strangers — 
a  low,  stone-floored  room.  I  have  stood  in  it, 
and  recalled  with  pain  the  tragical  event  that 
gave  it  celebrity 

Wickliffe,  the  reformer,  died  in  the  reign  of 
Richard  II. 


166  TAMERLANE. 


CHAPTER  XXXI. 

TAMERLANE. 

IN  the  reign  of  the  second  Richard  of  Eng- 
land, Timour  Beg,  better  known  by  the  name 
of  Tamerlane,  was  the  hero  of  the  day. 

Tamerlane  was  a  Tartar  prince,  who  consid- 
ered himself  as  descended  from  the  famous 
Zingis  Khan.  He  was  a  soldier  at  the  early 
age  of  twelve  years ;  and  at  twenty-five  was 
looked  up  to  as  the  most  promising  warrior  of 
his  warlike  tribe.  He  was  so  ambitious,  that  it 
has  been  said  of  him,  "  The  conquest  and  mon- 
archy of  the  world  was  the  first  object  of  the 
ambition  of  Timour."* 

In  1380,  he  began  his  triumphant  military 
career,  conquering  in  Tartary,  Persia,  and  India. 
Beyond  the  victories  of  Alexander  he  pushed 
his  military  exploits ;  passed  the  Ganges,  and 
took  the  city  of  Delhi,  in  Hindoostan. 

Bajazet  I.  was  then  Emperor  of  the  Turks : 
he  was  the  son  of  Amurath  I.,  who  had  embod- 
ied the  Janizaries.  Bajazet  was  also  ambitious 
and  fond  of  war,  had  gained  many  victories,  and 
caused  the  Emperor  of  Constantinople  to  trem- 
*  Gibbon. 


TAMERLANE.  167 

ble  on  his  throne.  He  was  on  the  point  of  be- 
sieging that  city,  when,  Tamerlane  appearing 
with  a  large  army  against  him,  he  was  obliged 
to  think  of  his  own  defence. 

The  two  haughty  warriors  addressed  each 
other  in  terms  of  contempt  and  defiance  ;  and, 
having  mutually  aroused  their  indignation,  they 
prepared  to  settle  their  contest  with  the  sword. 
On  the  plains  of  Angoria*  a  desperate  battle 
was  fought.  Bajazet  proved  himself  skilful  as 
a  general,  and  valiant  as  a  soldier  ;  but  some  of 
his  troops,  being  bribed  by  Tamerlane,  deserted, 
and  Bajazet  was  taken  prisoner. 

It  has  been  related,  that  he  was  confined  in 
an  "  iron  cage ;"  but  this  account  is  not  now 
believed.  Other  writers  extol  the  excessive 
clemency  and  affability  of  Tamerlane  to  his  cap- 
tive. Such  undue  condescension  is  but  the  re- 
fined exertion  and  expression  of  superiority  :  at 
least  it  strikes  me  so. 

We  may  not  compare  the  victorious  Black 
Prince  with  the  half-civilized  Tartar  chief.  But 
the  recorded  description  of  their  excessive  gra- 
ciousness  to  their  prisoners  awakens  similar 
disapprobation.  In  the  various  contradictory 
accounts  of  historians,  it  is  impossible  to  ascer- 

*  Or  Ancyra,  in  Phrygia. 


168  TAMERLANE. 

tain  the  acts — how  much  more  impossible  to 
ascertain  the  feelings — of  departed  heroes  ! 

Bajazet  died  soon  after  his  defeat ;  and  Ta- 
merlane sent  his  body  to  be  interred  at  Bursa, 
in  the  monument  which  he  had  there  erected. 
Bajazet  was  the  first  Turkish  chief  who  took 
the  title  of  Sultan  ;  his  predecessors  having 
been  content  with  the  designation  of  Emir. 

The  Emperor  of  Constantinople  consented  to 
pay  a  considerable  tribute  to  Tamerlane ;  and  the 
Sultans  of  Egypt,  with  rich  presents,  prevent- 
ed his  intention  of  turning  his  arms  toward 
their  territory.  Solyman  I.,  the  son  of  Ba- 
jazet, held  his  power  as  the  gift  of  the  con- 
queror ;  and  Samarcand,  the  capital  of  Tamer- 
lane, was  enriched  by  the  treasures  of  distant 
climes. 

Are  the  ambitious  ever  satisfied  ?  Are  war- 
like heroes  ever  disposed  to  rest  and  peace  1 
In  the  seventieth  year  of  his  age,  Tamerlane 
projected  and  commenced  the  conquest  of  China. 
In  the  severity  of  winter,  mounted  on  horseback, 
he  led  his  hostile  troops  to  the  invasion  of  that 
distant  and  immense  empire.  But  his  progress 
was  arrested  by  death.  After  suffering  in  a 
short  but  severe  fever,  he  expired  at  Ortar, 
1405. 

And  what  became   of  all  his  mighty  con- 


Q.UEEN    MARGARET.  169 

quests  1  The  same  fate  attended  them  that 
generally  attends  the  success  of  warriors.  No 
lasting  benefits  accrued ;  no  permanent  em- 
pire existed.  His  sons  and  grandsons  contest- 
ed for  superiority ;  but  none  of  them  were 
celebrated.  Most  of  the  nations  he  had  sub- 
dued recovered  their  freedom  at  his  death ; 
China  remained  unmolested ;  and  the  succes- 
sors of  Bajazet  rendered  the  Turkish  empire 
more  powerful  than  it  had  ever  been. 

While  Tamerlane  was  rendering  himself  cele- 
brated in  one  part,  a  female  heroine  was  ac- 
quiring a  deathless  fame  in  another.  Margaret, 
the  daughter  of  Valdimar  III.,  King  of  Den- 
mark, by  her  talent  and  spirit  obtained  the 
name  of  the  Semiramis  of  the  North.  You 
remember  the  Semiramis  of  more  southern 
climes  ? 

Margaret  married  Hakon,  King  of  Norway  ; 
and  showed  so  much  prudence  and  energy  in 
the  management  of  public  aflairs,  that  her  fa- 
ther frequently  said,  "  Nature  had  intended 
her  soul  for  the  body  of  a  man,  and  not  for  that 
of  a  woman." 

Upon  the  death  of  Hakon,  her  husband,  and 
that  of  Oloff  her  son,  she  contrived  to  be  pro- 
claimed Queen  of  Norway,  Denmark,  and  Swe- 
den ;  thus  uniting  in  herself  the  sovereignty 
o  15 


170  HENRY    IV.    OF    LANCASTER. 

of  those  three  states.  When  Albert,  who  had 
been  chosen  King  of  Sweden,  styled  her  in  deri- 
sion "the  King  in  petticoats,"  she  did  not  answer 
him  by  woman's  weapons,  words  ;  but  made  her 
actions  speak  for  her  :  and  he  bitterly  lamented 
his  joke,  when  he  found  himself  vanquished  by 
this  despised  sovereign,  made  her  prisoner,  and 
indebted  for  his  life  to  her  mercy.  After  pro- 
curing a  glorious  peace  for  her  subjects,  she 
long  preserved  it  for  them  ;  and  at  her  death 
left  the  three  kingdoms,  which  she  had  united, 
to  her  successor. 


CHAPTER  XXXII. 

HENRY    IV.    OF    LANCASTER. 

HENRY  IV.  was  the  son  of  John  of  Gaunt, 
Duke  of  Lancaster,  fourth  son  of  Edward  III.* 
But  Lionel,  Duke  of  Clarence,  was  the  third 
son  of  Edward.  Mortimer,  Earl  of  Marcjie, 
was  descended  from  a  daughter  of  Lionel ;  and, 
being  the  offspring  of  an  elder  branch  of  the 
royal  house.  Mortimer,  on  the  deposition  and 
death  of  Richard  II.,  became  the  true  heir  to 

*  See  Shakspeare's  King  Henry  VI.,  act  ii.,  scene  6. 


HENRY    IV.    OP    LANCASTER.  171 

the  throne,  and  had  been  declared  such  by  that 
unfortunate  monarch. 

The  Earl  of  Cambridge,  second  son  of  the 
Duke  of  York,  married  the  daughter  of  the  Earl 
of  Marche,  and  endeavored  to  place  the  son  of 
that  nobleman  on  the  throne.  But  Henry,  on 
the  death  of  Mortimer,  in  Ireland,  obtained  pos- 
session of  his  young  son,  and  kept  him  closely 
confined.  Mortimer  died  in  prison  without  leav- 
ing any  children,  and  his  sister's  son  became 
heir  to  his  rights. 

Hence  arose  the  civil  wars  between  the  Houses 
of  York  and  Lancaster,  which  for  many  years 
deluged  England  with  native  blood.  The  Earl 
of  Marche  married  the  daughter  of  the  famous 
Owen  Grlendower,  a  warlike  leader,  of  whom,  to 
this  day,  the  Welsh  speak  with  praise  and  emu- 
lation. 

The  life  of  a  usurper  must  be  harassed  with 
opposition,  and  tormented  by  rebellions  and  con- 
spiracy ;  the  sense  of  injustice  must  alone  prove 
severely  chastening.  Henry  found  that  a  crown 
obtained  by  usurpation  must  be  kept  by  unre- 
mitting vigilance  and  exertion.  The  Welsh, 
under  Glendower,  harassed  him  in  one  quarter  j 
the  Scots,  under  the  Earl  of  Douglas,  in  another. 
The  Earl  of  Northumberland,  offended  at  his 
conduct,  went  over  to  the  side  of  Mortimer; 


172  HENRY    IV.    OP    LANCASTER. 

and,  at  the  battle  of  Shrewsbury,  the  Earl's  son, 
the  celebrated  Henry  Percy,  surnamed  Hot- 
spur, after  making  the  most  valiant  efforts,  was 
killed  on  the  field  of  battle,  and  his  army  was 
overthrown. 

Shakspeare  has  written  some  charming  plays 
on  these  events,  and  described  Hotspur  as  fall- 
ing by  the  hand  of  Henry  of  Monmouth,  the 
young  Prince  of  Wales ;  but  history  records 
the  hero's  death  as  caused  by  an  ignoble  hand. 

This  Harry  of  Monmouth  was  the  wild  Prince 
of  Wales,  of  whose  follies  and  freaks  you  will 
often  hear.  It  was  he  who,  when  one  of  his  pro- 
fligate associates  was  carried  before  the  judge 
for  some  misdemeanor,  so  far  forgot  himself  as 
to  strike  the  judge,  Sir  William  Grascoigne, 
because  his  dissolute  companion  was  doomed  to 
punishment. 

The  judge,  duly  sensible  of  the  dignity  of  his 
station,  and  the  necessity  of  punishing  every 
breach  of  respect  to  the  laws  of  the  land,  and 
to  the  magistrate  who  administered  those  laws, 
immediately  ordered  the  Prince  into  custody. 
Young  Henry  gave  proof  of  the  magnanimity  of 
his  character,  by  instantly  submitting  himself 
to  the  laws  of  his  country  and  the  orders  of  her 
insulted  magistrate.  He  showed  that,  if  he 
could  err  in  the  moment  of  thoughtless  indigna- 


IV.    OF    LANCASTER.  173 

tion,  he  knew  his  duty  in  the  interval  of  recov- 
ered reason,  and  would  fulfil  it.  The  King  was 
delighted  to*!iear  of  the  transaction  :  for  he  con- 
sidered himself  "  happy  in  having  a  judge  who 
so  boldly  and  uprightly  administered  justice : 
and  still  more  happy  in  a  son,  wise  and  generous 
enough  to  submit  patiently  to  deserved  chastise- 
ment." 

The  King  was  very  subject  to  severe  fits : 
whilst  he  was  in  one  of  them,  the  Prince  of 
Wales  entered  his  apartment,  and,  seeing  his 
father  lying  senseless,  he  concluded  he  was  also 
lifeless ;  he  therefore  bore  away  the  crown, 
which  he  found  by  the  bedside.  The  King,  re- 
covering himself  soon  after,  missed  his  crown, 
and  anxiously  inquired  for  it.  The  Prince 
hastened  to  restore  the  diadem,  which  he  said, 
he  had  only  removed,  as  considering  his  father 
no  longer  capable  of  wearing  it.  It  is  related, 
that  he  excused  himself  so  well,  that  the  King 
not  only  forgave  but  blessed  him. 

But  how  can  any  apology  be  offered  for  so  in- 
delicate an  action  ?  If  the  son  really  thought 
his  parent  dead,  would  not  some  expression  of 
sorrow  over  the  corpse  of  his  father  have  been 
more  natural  than  instantly  to  deck  himself 
with  the  golden  circlet  of  majesty?  Would  the 
thoughts  of  a  tender  and  dutiful  child  be  so 


174  HENRY    V. 

little  engrossed  with  the  loss  of  a  fond  and  in- 
dulgent parent,  that  he  could  so  early  think  of 
what  was  to  be  gained  by  it  ? 

In  one  of  these  fits,  Henry  IV.  died,  in  the 
forty-sixth  year  of  his  age. 

The  most  ancient  of  our  English  poets,  Geof- 
frey Chaucer,  died  in  1400,  just  after  Henry 
had  usurped  the  throne.  His  numerous  poems 
will  show  the  mode  of  spelling,  and  the  quaint 
forms  of  expression,  used  in  those  days.  The 
story  of  Griselda,  the  pattern  of  a  good  wife, 
will  interest  and  amuse  you.  It  is  one  of  Chau- 
cer's Canterbury  Tales. 


CHAPTER  XXXIII. 


HENRY    V. 


THE  madcap  Prince  of  Wales  left  all  his 
follies  behind  him  when  he  ascended  the  Eng- 
lish throne.  He  soon  became  the  darling  of 
the  people,  and  carried  his  triumphant  arms 
into  the  heart  of  France. 

Charles  the  Wise  was  dead ;  and  his  son  and 
successor,  Charles  VI.,  never  very  wise,  had 
lost  his  senses.  He  was  but  twelve  years  of 


CHARLES    VI.    OF    FRANCE.  175 

% 

age  when  he  ascended  the  throne  ;  and,  although 
France  suffered  great  misery  and  disgrace  dur- 
ing his  reign,  he  obtained  the  title  of  "  Well- 
beloved  ;"  indeed  he  was  a  prince  of  great  un- 
derstanding and  goodness,  desirous. of  making 
his  people  happy ;  but  Providence  was  pleased 
to  bring  great  troubles  upon  him,  and  the  hopes 
of  the  nation  were  soon  entirely  disappointed. 
Charles  was  marching  into  Brittany  at  the 
head  of  his  army,  and  when  he  arrived  at  the 
town  of  Mans,  he  was  seized  with  a  slow  fever, 
but  could  not  be  persuaded  to  take  rest  or  med- 
icine. On  the  5th  of  August,  1391,  having 
travelled  all  day  in  the  heat  of  the  sun,  as  he 
was  riding  through  the  forest,  a  miserable,  wild- 
looking  fellow  rushed  from  behind  a  tree,  and 
laying  hold  of  his  bridle,  cried  out,  "  Stop, 
King  !  Whither  are  you  going  ?  You  are  be- 
trayed !"  and  immediately  went  back  into  the 
wood.  Charles,  however,  rode  on,  though  very 
much  agitated  ;  and  soon  after,  one  of  his  pages, 
who  rode  behind  and  carried  the  King's  lance, 
overcome  with  heat,  fell  asleep,  and  let  it  fall 
upon  the  helmet  which  was  carried  by  another 
page  ;  the  King,  hearing  the  noise,  looked  about, 
and,  perceiving  the  page  lifting  up  the  lance, 
instantly  killed  him  :  then,  riding  furiously  with 
his  sword  drawn,  he  struck  at  every  person  till 


176  CHARLES    VI.    OF    FRANCE. 

• 

he  broke  his  sword,  upon  which  one  of  his  gen- 
tlemen leaped  up  behind  him  and  held  his  arm  ; 
he  fell  soon  after,  and  lay  as  if  he  had  been 
dead,  when  he  was  taken  up,  bound  in  a  wag- 
on, and  carried  back  to  Mans.  After  continu- 
ing two  days  in  a  state  of  insensibility,  he  re- 
covered a  \ittle,  and  expressed  great  sorrow  for 
the  blood  he  had  shed  in  his  delirium.  The 
nation,  who  were  much  grieved  at  his  illness, 
were  equally  rejoiced  at  his  recovery  ;  but,  un- 
fortunately, it  was  soon  discovered  that  the 
wisdom  and  judgment,  for  which  he  had  before 
been  remarkable,  were  quite  gone.  In  a  few 
months,  indeed,  his  understanding  seemed  to  be 
sufficiently  restored ;  but,  in  the  year  1393,  it 
was  again  disturbed  by  an  accident  as  extraor- 
dinary as  the  former.  At  a  grand  entertain- 
ment given  by  the  Queen,  on  the  marriage  of 
one  of  her  attendants,  the  King  and  five  of  his 
nobles  entered  the  room,  masked  as  satyrs,  and 
dressed  in  linen  clothes,  covered  with  rosin  and 
stuck  over  with  down.  The  Duke  of  Orleans, 
out  of  diversion,  thrust  a  lighted  torch  against 
one  of  them,  when  his  whole  dress  instantly 
took  fire,  and  set  all  the  rest  in  flames,  as  they 
were  chained  to  each  other.  The  masks,  not- 
withstanding the  dreadful  situation  they  were 
in,  cried  out,  "  Save  the  King !  Save  the 


CHARLES    VI.    OF    FRANCE.  177 

King  !"  On  which  the  Duchess  de  Berri,  find- 
ing that  he  was  one  of  them,  threw  her  cloak 
over  him,  and  thereby  extinguished  the  flames. 
One  of  the  others  escaped  by  jumping  into  a 
cistern  of  water  ;  but  the  other  four  were  burn- 
ed to  death.  The  terror  and  shock  which  the 
King  received,  instantly  brought  on  his  deli- 
rium again,  and  he  never  was  perfectly  himself 
afterward.  So  much  for  the  termination  of  a 
silly  and  unkingly  frolic  !  How  often  do  such 
frolics  so  end,  in  shame,  if  not  in  suffering ! 
Two  of  the  royal  Dukes,  with  the  Queen,  un- 
dertook to  govern  the  nation  ;  and  they  brought 
the  greatest  miseries  on  the  people  by  their 
shameful  conduct.  The  Queen  was  a  very 
wicked  woman,  and  had  no  affection  either  for 
her  husband  or  children  ;  the  former  was  neg- 
lected by  every  one,  and  the  latter  were  fre- 
quently in  want  of  what  was  necessary  to  their 
rank  in  life.  Their  governess  told  the  poor 
King,  that  she  had  often  neither  clothes  nor 
food  proper  for  them ;  and  he  replied,  "  Alas  !  I 
ain  not  better  treated  myself."  He  was  five 
months  without  going  to  bed,  or  having  his 
linen  changed  ;  and  he  seemed  to  be  forgotten 
by  all  the  world.  This  unfortunate  monarch 
died  in  1422,  aged  54  :  not  one  prince  of  his 
family  attended  his  funeral ;  but  his  people  sin- 


178  HENRY     V. 

cerely  mourned  for  him,  as  they  loved  and 
pitied  him,  and  were  too  just  not  to  know  that 
the  miseries  of  the  kingdom  had  been  occasion- 
ed by  the  crimes  of  the  Queen  and  her  asso- 
ciates. This  wicked  woman  lived  thirteen  years 
after  her  husband,  and  died  so  hated  and  de- 
spised by  all  the  French,  that  her  body  was 
carried  in  a  little  boat  to  St.  Denis  to  be  buried, 
and  no  ceremony  was  observed  on  the  occasion. 

Henry,  taking  advantage  of  the  insanity  of 
Charles,  and  of  the  consequent  confusion  of 
affairs  in  France,  hastened  thither  with  a  large 
army  ;  and,  though  his  troops  were  weakened 
by  disease,  he  ventured  to  attack  the  French  on 
the  plains  of  Azincourt. 

Who  has  not  heard  of  the  battle  of  Azin- 
court, when  a  small  number  of  feeble  and  sickly 
English  conquered  a  large  army  of  French  on 
their  own  ground  !  Though  soldiers  fight  the 
battle,  and  therefore,  in  one  sense,  may  be  said 
to  obtain  it,  yet  much  depends  on  the  skill  of 
their  commanders,  in  placing  them  so  that  they 
may  fight  to  the  greatest  advantage. 

Henry  posted  his  troops  with  skill,  and  sus- 
tained them  with  spirit.  Afraid  at  one  time 
that  the  battle  was  going  against  him,  he  jump' 
ed  from  his  horse,  and  rushed  forward  to  the 
head  of  his  brave  soldiers.  In  this  desperate 


TUUK  STOUIES. 


IIGNKV    V.   AND   THE   PKI.VCKSS   OF   FRAXCK.  PagO  179. 


HENRY    V.  179 

hazard,  he  was  so  stunned  with  a  blow,  that  he 
fell,  and  would  soon  have  been  despatched,  had 
not  David  Gam,  a  Welshman,  with  some  of  his 
countrymen,  come  to  the  aid  of  the  prostrate 
monarch.  The  instant  Henry  recovered  his 
senses,  he  sprang  forward  with  increased  cour-' 
age,  and,  whilst  rescuing  his  brother  from  peril, 
was  again  severely  struck.  He  sank  on  his 
knees,  but,  mustering  all  Jlis  strength,  was  once 
more  on  his  feet,  and  fighting.  Victory  now 
rewarded  his  persevering  prowess,  though  the 
Duke  of  Alenc.on  had  interposed  to  arrest  it : 
crying  out,  "  I  am  the  Duke  of  Alenc,on  !"  he 
rushed  upon  Henry,  and  struck  him  on  the  head. 
Henry,  not  for  an  instant  remitting  his  vigilance, 
turned  upon  his  antagonist,  and  felled  him  to 
the  ground.  There  the  Duke  was  soon  killed 
by  the  surrounding  soldiers,  and  the  triumph  of 
the  English  was  complete.  What  think  you  of 
the  hero  of  Azincourt  ? 

On  a  second  invasion  of  France,  Henry  ob- 
tained so  many  conquests,  that  at  last  he  per- 
suaded Charles  to  let  him  marry  his  daughter, 
the  Princess  Catherine,  and  be  declared  heir  to 
the  French  crown. 

The  son  of  Charles  was  not  so  imbecile  as  his 
father  ;  by  his  prudence  and  activity  he  disput- 
ed the  unjust  demands  of  Henry.  But  he  corild 


180  HENRY    V. 

effect  little  during  the  life  of  this  King  of  Eng- 
land, who  carried  over  numerous  fine  troops  in- 
to France,  and  kept  his  court  at  Paris  in  great 
pomp  and  splendor  :  his  father-in-law  having 
the  name,  but  not  the  dignity  nor  the  authority, 
of  a  sovereign. 

The  Dauphin*  retired  to  wait  for  a  more  pros- 
perous period.  This  was  soon  presented  by  the 
early  death  of  his  rival.  Henry  V.  expired  in 
the  thirty -fourth  year  of  his  age,  and  the  tenth 
of  his  reign.  He  is  considered  as  one  of  the 
most  heroic  of  the  English  monarchs,  although 
his  waste  of  treasure  and  blood,  in  prosecuting 
useless  wars,  purchased  empty  fame,  and  not 
lasting  benefit. 

His  desertion  of  his  vicious  associates  and 
profligate  habits  does  him  more  honor ;  and  his 
generous  conduct  toward  Sir  William  Gas- 
coigne,  the  judge  who  had  nobly  dared  to  com- 
mit him  to  prison,  was  truly  laudable. 

The  forgiveness  of  injuries,  and  the  gracious 
treatment  of  rivals  and  foes,  are  deeds  which 
bespeak  a  great  mind,  and  demand  and  receive 
universal  approbation. 

In  the  reign  of  Henry  V.  the  Portuguese 

*  The  Dauphin,  a  title  given  to  the  eldest  son  of  the 
King  of  France,  from  a  fine  province  of  that  name,  called 
formerly  Dauphin^, 


INVENTION    OF    PRINTING.  181 

discovered  the  island  of  Madeira;  some  time 
before,  they  had  ascertained  the  situation  of  the 
Cape  of  Good  Hope  ;  but  the  doubling  (or  pass- 
ing) the  Cape  was  not  effected  by  them  until 
1497. 


CHAPTER  XXXIV. 

INVENTION    OF    PRINTING. WICKLIFFE JOHN 

HUSS — JEROME    OF    PRAGUE. 

You  know  that  the  paper  we  write  upon  is 
made  from  rags.  It  is  said  that  this  invention 
was  first  known  in  1417,  but  not  brought  into 
England  till  many  years  afterward.  Do  you 
ask  what  was  used  before  that  time  for  writing 
upon? 

Rollin  says  that  the  ancients  first  wrote  upon 
the  leaves  of  the  palm  tree  ;  next,  on  the  inside 
of  the  bark  (whence  the  word  liber,  or  book,  is 
derived) ;  after  that,  upon  tables  covered  over 
with  wax,  on  which  the  characters  were  impress- 
ed with  an  instrument  called  stylus,  sharp- 
pointed  at  one  end  to  write  with,  and  flat  at  the 
other  to  efface,  when  necessary,  what  had  been 
written.  At  last,  the  bark  of  the  papyrus,  a 
plant  abundant  in  Egypt,  was  brought  into  use. 
This  plant  grows  to  a  great  height,  and  its  root 


182  INVENTION    OP    PRINTING. 

throws  out  numerous  triangular  stalks.  The 
bark  of  these  stems  was  split  into  thin  flakes, 
or  leaves,  which  were  called  paper,  from  papyrus. 
The  thin  leaves  were  glued  together  with  the 
waters  of  the  Nile,  pressed,  and  dried  in  the 
sun.  Thus  sheets  of  various  sizes  could  he 
fbrmed,  and  of  various  thickness.  The  papyrus 
plant  was  also  useful  for  sails,  cloths,  &c. ;  and 
paper  was  formed  of  it  many  years  hefore  Alex- 
ander the  Great  appeared  in  Egypt. 

Pliny  says  that  parchment  (the  prepared  skin 
of  sheep)  was  substituted  for  the  above-named 
kind  of  paper  by  Eumenes,  King  of  Pergamus  ; 
perhaps  about  250  years  before  Christ. 

The  weaving  of  linen  from  the  fibres  of  flax 
is  an  invention  of  great  antiquity,  and  was  car- 
ried to  great  perfection  in  Egypt.  The  fine 
linen  vestments  of  the  priests  are  repeatedly 
mentioned  in  the  Bible,  so  early  as  the  time  in 
which  Moses  lived,  1550  years  before  Christ. 

But  it  was  not  until  almost  as  many  years 
after  Christ,  that  the  old  and  dirty  rags  of  linen 
were  converted  into  a  fine  and  snow-white  paper. 
The  Peruvians,  a  people  of  America,  noted  down 
their  thoughts  by  means  of  colored  cords,  and 
specified  numbers  by  knots  on  these  strings. 
Some  uncivilized  nations  describe  events  by 


INVENTION    OP    PRINTING.  183 

rude  pictures  formed  of  feathers,  or  some  other 
method  of  delineating  objects  and  things. 

Good  paper  once  perfected,  the  art  of  print- 
ing soon  followed.  In  little  more  than  twenty 
years  (A.  D.  1440)  Guttemberg,  a  German,  con- 
trived types,  by  which  to  impress  letters.  All 
writings  before  were  performed  by  the  hand,  and 
thence  called  manuscripts,  from  two  Latin  words, 
inanus,  hand,  and  scriptus,  written. 

How  slow,  how  fatiguing,  must  have  been 
this  mode  of  sending  forth  literary  productions  ! 
Yet  the  persevering  and  industrious  ancients 
accumulated  vast  stores  of  learning  by  this 
laborious  process. 

Pray  imagine  how  knowledge  and  information 
must  have  been  disseminated  and  advanced, 
when  the  art  of  printing  gave  the  power  of  mul- 
tiplying copies  with  ease  and  rapidity  ! 

I  do  not  know  a  more  curious  and  ingenious 
art ;  and  when  you  have  seen  a  printing-office, 
I  think  you  will  agree  with  me  that  it  displays 
great  skill  and  ability  in  the  printers,  and  great 
fidelity  and  beauty  of  execution.  Of  course,  the 
first  attempts,  as  all  first  attempts  must  be, 
were  inelegant  and  imperfect.  But  persever- 
ance— that  best  friend  of  talent,  that  best  mean 
of  perfection — gradually  improved  the  first  rude 
efforts  of  printing  into  the  excellence  and  com- 


184  WICKLIFFE. JOHN    HUSS. 

pletion  that  now  attend  the  works  of  the  printer, 
The  merit  of  this  discovery  has  been  contested ; 
I  have  informed  you  who  was  the  most  accredited 
inventor. 


There  were  many  persons  who  did  not  en- 
tirely believe  all  the  articles  of  the  Roman 
Catholic  religion.  Wickliffe,  an  Englishman, 
in  the  reign  of  Richard  II.,  educated  at  Oxford, 
was  among  the  first  to  propagate  opinions  dis- 
sonant from  the  church  of  Rome. 

After  him,  in  the  reign  of  Henry  V.,  appeared 
John  Huss,  a  Bohemian,  brought  up  in  the  uni- 
versity of  Prague,  who  also  expressed  senti- 
ments little  accordant  with  the  Roman  Catholic 
church.  Huss  was  imprisoned  for  his  opposi- 
tion, and  after  a  short  captivity,  was  burned  to 
death. 

The  Council  of  Constance  sentenced  him  to 
this  agonizing  punishment.  Could  those  human 
beings  have  known  the  extremity  of  the  torture 
to  which,  by  this  sentence,  they  consigned  a 
fellow-creature  1  Put  your  hand  to  the  fire  : 
hold  your  finger  half  a  minute  in  the  flame  of  a 
candle,  and  then  judge  of  the  intense  suffering 
of  being  burned  to  death. 

Huss  was  compelled  to  behold  the  public 
burning  of  his  papers  and  writings  ;  and  then, 


,  HENRY     VI.  185 

refusing  to  save  his  life  by  recanting  the  opin- 
ions he  had  professed,  he  was  himself  fastened 
to  a  stake,  and  expired,  steady  to  his  faith  in 
the  last  agony  of  death. 

Jerome  of  Prague,  the  faithful  friend  of  John 
Huss,  avowed  the  same  sentiments  and  shared 
the  same  fate.  Terrified  by  the  threats  of  ex- 
quisite anguish,  he  for  a  short  time  wavered  ; 
but,  becoming  more  fixed  in  his  principles,  he 
remained  steady  to  them,  and  sealed  his  belief 
by  his  martyrdom.  I  beg  you  to  observe  the 
death  of  these  men,  as  the  first  step  to  that 
Reformation,  which  afterward  formed  a  new 
sect,  and  divided  it  from  the  church  of  Borne. 
You  are  Protestants  ;  that  is,  protesting  from, 
dissenting  from,  the  Romish  creed.  These  men 
led  the  way  for  the  establishment  of  that  faith 
in  which  you  are  educated.  This  subject  is  to 
you,  therefore,  very  momentous. 


CHAPTER  XXXV. 


HENRY    VI. 


HENRY  VI.  was  an  infant  only  nine  months 
old,  when. he  was  proclaimed  King  of  France 
and  England.  His  uncles  ruled  for  him  during 


186  HENRY    VI.  ^ 

his  childhood  ;  but,  though  they  were  able  and 
valiant,  they  could  not  preserve  for  him  his 
dominion  of  France, 

The  indefatigable  Dauphin  assuming,  on  the 
death  of  his  father,  his  legitimate  title  of  King 
Charles  VII.,  took  vigorous  measures  to  compel 
the  English  to  withdraw  from  France.  In  his 
attempts  he  was  essentially  aided  by  a  female. 

There  was  a  country  girl,  about  twenty-seven 
years  of  age,  a  servant  at  an  inn,  who  was  re- 
markable for  her  piety  and  modesty.  She  had 
fulfilled  her  humble  duties  with  propriety  and 
simplicity,  and  seemed  fitted  for  her  quiet  and 
lowly  station.  But,  when  she  heard  of  the 
troubles  and  disasters  into  which  her  country 
was  plunged,  a  new  spirit  seemed  to  infuse  it- 
self into  her  bosom.  She  felt  so  profoundly, 
and  thought  so  earnestly,  that  she  became  full 
of  fanciful  ideas  ;  and  at  last  imagined  herself 
divinely  appointed  to  rescue  her  native  land 
from  foreign  aggression. 

When  we  long  and  deeply  meditate  on  any 
painful  subject,  the  thoughts  naturally  become 
confused,  and  the  feelings  are  agitated.  In 
such  a  state,  it  is  very  likely  for  whimsical  con- 
ceptions to  be  formed,  and  strange  plans  to  be 
elicited.  If  circumstances  concur  to  render 
these  ideas  reducible  to  action,  and  these  plans 


JOAN    OF   ARC.  187 

prove  successful,  the  person  so  meditating  is 
believed,  and  believes  himself,  to  be  inspired. 
But,  in  hearing  of  such  remarkable  incidents, 
do  not  too  hastily  join  the  number  of  the  cre- 
dulous. 

Joan  of  Arc  was  the  name  of  this  enthusias- 
tic female,  (though,  in  consequence  of  her  re- 
lief of  Orleans,  she  is  known  in  history  as  the 
Maid  of  Orleans,)  and  she  confided  her  thoughts 
to  the  Governor  of  Vaucouleurs,  the  town  near 
which  she  lived.  The  miseries  of  her  country 
had  made  a  great  impression  on  her  mind,  and 
she  had  thought  of  them  so  constantly  and  so 
anxiously,  that  at  last  she  persuaded  herself 
that  Heaven  had  appointed  her  to  deliver  her 
native  land  from  its  terrible  invaders.  She 
often  had  dreams,  and  fancied  that  she  heard 
voices  exhorting  her  to  fight,  and  promising  that 
she  should  rescue  the  kingdom  and  chase  away 
the  English. 

Her  repeated  importunities  induced  the  gov- 
ernor to  send  her  to  the  King ;  and  the  King 
had  sense  enough  to  profit  by  the  event.  What- 
ever he  believed  himself,  he  knew  his  ignorant 
subjects  would  believe  that  Joan  was  indeed  in- 
spired by  Heaven  to  save  her  country. 

On  being  presented  to  Charles,  she  offered, 
in  the  name  of  the  Almighty,  to  raise  the  siege 


188  JOAN    OF  ARC. 

of  Orleans,  and  conduct  him  to  Rheims  (a  city 
where  all  the  kings  of  France  are  crowned),  in 
order  that  the  crown  should  there  be  placed  on 
his  head.  She  described  a  particular  sword, 
which  she  had  never  seen,  and  which  was  pre- 
served in  the  church  of  St.  Catherine  de  Fierbois, 
and  she  demanded  this  sword  as  the  instrument 
of  her  future  victories.  Charles  and  his  coun- 
cillors listened  to  her  after  some  time,  and 
granted  what  she  desired.  She  was  armed  from 
head  to  foot,  mounted  on  a  fine  war-horse,  and 
shown  to  the  people  in  her  military  dress.  The 
skill  with  which  she  managed  her  horse  was  re- 
garded as  a  new  proof  that  she  was  really  des- 
tined by  Heaven  to  save  her  country  ;  and  she 
was  received  with  the  greatest  acclamations 
wherever  she  went.  The  English  were  engag- 
ed at  the  siege  of  Orleans,  where  everything 
seemed  to  promise  them  success  :  but  Joan  un- 
dertook to  raise  the  siege  ;  and,  girding  herself 
with  the  extraordinary  sword,  and  holding  a 
consecrated  banner  in  her  hand,  she  ordered  all 
the  soldiers  to  say  their  prayers  before  they 
began  to  march,  and  then  assured  them  of  suc- 
cess. Such  confidence  on  her  side  raised  the 
spirits  of  the  French  army :  and  even  the  Eng- 
lish, though  they  pretended  to  despise  her,  be- 
gan to  feel  secretly  afraid  of  her,  and  waited, 


JOAN  OF  ARC.  189 

with  anxious  expectation,  the  event  of  these 
preparations.  A  supply  of  provisions  was  to  be 
conveyed  into  the  town,  and  Joan,  with  a  body 
of  troops,  undertook  to  cover  the  embarkation. 
She  entered  Orleans  at  the  head  of  the  convoy 
which  she  had  protected,  and,  displaying  the 
consecrated  banner,  was  received  by  the  garri- 
son and  all  the  inhabitants  as  their  deliverer 
sent  from  Heaven.  With  the  assistance  of  the 
governor,  she  obliged  the  English  to  give  up  the 
siege,  after  she  had  defeated  them  in  many  sal- 
lies from  the  town.  In  the  first  of  these  she 
led  on  the  troops,  carrying  the  sacred  banner 
in  her  hand,  encouraging  them  with  words  and 
actions,  and  overpowering  the  besiegers  in  their 
own  redoubts.  In  the  attack  of  one  of  the 
forts,  she  was  wounded  in  the  neck  with  an  ar- 
row ;  but,  instantly  pulling  it  out  with  her  own 
hands,  and  getting  the  wound  hastily  dressed, 
she  returned  to  her  dangerous  post,  determined 
to  plant  her  victorious  banner  on  the  ramparts 
of  the  enemy.  On  another  occasion,  she  receiv- 
ed a  blow  with  a  stone,  by  which  she  was  stun- 
ned and  beaten  to  the  ground ;  but  she  soon  re- 
covered herself,  and  in  the  end  was  successful ; 
for  the  English,  as  much  appalled  as  the 
French  were  elated  by  this  singular  heroine's 


190  CHARLES    VII. 

prowess  and  energy,  retreated  from  before  the 
city  of  Orleans. 

The  raising  of  the  siege  of  Orleans  was  one 
part  of  Joan's  promise  to  Charles ;  the  crown- 
ing of  him  at  Rheims  was  the  other  :  and  she 
now  declared  that  it  was  time  to  have  that  cere- 
mony performed.  He  was  therefore  persuaded 
to  set  out  for  that  city,  at  the  head  of  an  army 
of  twelve  thousand  men,  though  it  was  in  a  dis- 
tant part  of  the  kingdom,  and  was  then  in  pos- 
session of  the  English,  and  all  the  country 
through  which  he  had  to  pass  was  filled  with 
their  garrisons.  Till  this  time,  the  King  had 
kept  far  from  the  scene  of  war,  as  the  safety  of 
the  state  depended  upon  his  preservation  ;  hut 
he  determined  now  to  appear  at  the  head  of  his 
army,  and  to  set  the  example  of  valor  to  all  his 
soldiers.  He  began  his  march,  and  every  city 
on  the  road  opened  its  gates  to  him ;  so  much 
were  the  people  impressed  with  the  belief  that 
Joan  was  the  messenger  of  Heaven,  and  that 
everything  must  yield  to  her.  Charles  was  re- 
ceived at  Rheims  as  its  deliverer,  the  ceremony 
of  his  coronation  was  performed  there,  and  he  was 
also  anointed  with  the  holy  oil :  the  victorious 
Joan,  now  called  the  Maid  of  Orleans,  stood  by 
his  side  in  complete  armor,  displaying  her 
sacred  banner,  which  had  so  often  confounded 


JOAN    OF   ARC.  191 

his  fiercest  enemies  ;  and  all  the  people  shouted 
with  joy  at  the  sight.  When  the  ceremony  was 
over,  Joan  threw  herself  at  the  King's  feet,  em- 
braced his  knees,  and,  having  with  tears  con- 
gratulated him  on  this  glorious  event,  declared 
that  all  her  wishes  had  now  been  gratified,  and 
that  she  only  desired  to  return  to  her  former 
manner  of  life.  But  the  King  and  his  nobles 
were  so  convinced  of  the  service  her  presence 
would  be  of,  that  they  begged  she  would  not 
quit  the  army  till  the  English  were  driven  com- 
pletely out  of  France.  Yielding  to  their  en- 
treaties, she  made  her  way  into  the  town  of 
Compiegne,  which  the  enemy  were  then  besieg- 
ing ;  and  the  garrison,  on  her  appearance,  be- 
lieved they  should  conquer  all  before  them  ;  but 
their  joy  was  soon  over  ;  for,  the  day  after  her 
arrival,  she  went  out  at  the  head  of  some  troops, 
and,  after  driving  the  English  twice  from  their 
entrenchments,  found  their  numbers  increase  so 
much  that  she  ordered  a  retreat.  Being  hard 
pushed  by  the  pursuers,  she  turned  upon  them, 
and  drove  them  back ;  but  at  this  moment  she 
was  deserted  by  her  troops,  and  the  gates  of 
the  city  were  shut  against  her.  She  was  now 
surrounded  by  the  enemy  :  and  at  last,  after 
displaying  the  greatest  courage,  was  taken  pri- 
soner. The  English  were  overjoyed  at  this 


192  JOAN    OF    ARC. 

event,  and  used  her  with  the  greatest  cruelty  ; 
they  brought  her  to  trial,  clothed  in  her  mili- 
tary dress,  but  loaded  with  chains.  She  first' 
desired  to  be  eased  of  her  chains,  which  they 
refused ;  and,  after  treating  her  with  the  ut- 
most contempt,  and  asking  her  many  insulting 
questions,  they  condemned  her  to  be  imprison- 
ed for  life,  and  to  have  only  bread  and  water 
for  her  sustenance.  Her  barbarous  enemies, 
however,  were  not  satisfied  till  she  was  put  to 
death ;  and,  suspecting  that  the  female  dress, 
which  she  now  resumed,  was  disagreeable  to 
her,  they  placed  in  her  room  a  military  suit, 
which  she  had  been  ordered  never  to  wear  again, 
and  watched  to  see  what  effect  this  temptation 
would  have  upon  her.  On  the  sight  of  a  dress  in 
which  she  had  gained  so  much  renown,  and  which 
she  once  believed  she  wore  by  the  appointment 
of  Heaven,  all  her  former  ideas  and  wishes  re- 
turned, and  she  ventured,  in  her  solitude,  to 
clothe  herself  again  in  the  forbidden  garments. 
Her  deceitful  enemies  caught  her  in  that  con- 
dition ;  and  she  was  condemned,  as  a  sorceress, 
to  be  burned  alive  in  the  market-place  at  Rouen, 
a  town  of  Normandy.  This  infamous  sentence 
was  executed,  to  the  great  disgrace  of  the  Eng- 
lish :  for  Joan's  only  crimes  were  the  wonder- 
ful services  she  had  rendered  her  King  and 


TRUE  STORIES. 


JOAS    OK    ARC. 


Tacro  19-?. 


HENRY    VI.  193 

country.  This  iniquitous  conduct  of  the  Eng- 
lish justly  roused  the  hatred  and  indignation  of 
the  French :  they  ardently  desired  to  avenge 
the  death  of  their  injured  countrywoman.  With 
redoubled  fury  they  attacked  their  ungenerous 
foes  :  and,  before  the  close  of  Henry's  disas- 
trous reign,  he  was  despoiled  of  all  his  posses- 
sions in  France,  except  Calais  and  Guignes. 

I  have  not  patience  to  give  you  the  particu- 
lars of  Joan's  imprisonment  and  undeserved 
death.  You  must,  therefore,  read  it  elsewhere ; 
and,  having  done  so,  I  think  you  will,  with  me, 
condemn  the  wanton  cruelty  and  mean  artifice 
of  her  murderers. 

But  the  English  must  have  been  deplorably 
ignorant  in  those  days ;  for  they  burned  another 
female,  under  pretence  that  she  was  a  witch, 
and  had  made  a  figure  of  the  King  in  wax. 
This  figure,  being  placed  before  the  fire,  of 
course  gradually  dissolved ;  and,  in  the  same 
degree,  its  dissolution  was  to  cause  the  enerva- 
tion of  the  King's  health  and  strength.  Did 
you  ever  hear  of  anything  more  ridiculous  and 
irrational  ? 

Henry  was,  in  truth,  more  weak  in  mind 
than  in  body ;  and  his  imbecility  caused  some 
of  his  subjects  to  desire  another  King.  Hen- 
ry, you  may  remember,  was  descended  from 
Q  17 


194 


HENRY    VI. 


the  Duke  of  Lancaster ;  but  the  nephew  and 
heir  of  Mortimer  (now  Richard,  Duke  of 
York),  had  assuredly  a  prior  right.  This  right 
was  now  enforced ;  and  as  the  ensign  of  Rich- 
ard (York)  was  a  white  rose,  and  that  of  Hen- 
ry (Lancaster)  a  red  rose,  this  contest  was 
called  the  war  of  the  red  and  white  roses. 

Margaret,  the  wife  of  Henry,  was  a  clever 
and  accomplished  princess,  and  did  all  in  her 
power  to  rouse  the  courage  of  her  husband. 
He  joined  his  army ;  but,  being  worsted,  he 
sought  shelter  in  a  cottage,  where  he  was  taken 
prisoner  by  the  Yorkists.  The  Queen,  how- 
ever, succeeded  in  again  placing  him  in  arms 
against  his  adversary  ;  and  again  he  was  made 
a  captive. 

Undaunted  by  these  disappointments,  Mar- 
garet once  more  rallied  her  forces,  and  hastened 
to  liberate  her  husband.  In  a  severe  battle 
she  was  victorious,  and  the  Duke  of  York  was 
slain  in  the  action.  The  King,  once  more  at 
large,  was  too  much  overpowered  by  ill  health 
and  timidity  to  take  advantage  of  her  success. 
Edward,  the  son  of  the  Duke  of  York,  pursued 
the  path  his  father  had  essayed,  and  was  pro- 
claimed King. 

But  the  Queen  would  not  resign  the  rights 
of  her  own  son,  Edward,  whilst  it  was  possible 


HENRY    VI.  195 

to  assert  them.  The  fatal  battle  of  Hexham 
dissipated  all  her  hopes.  As  she  fled  with  her 
child  from  the  field  of  carnage,  she  was  be- 
nighted in  a  wood,  and  robbed  of  all  her  jewels. 
Still  her  undismayed  spirit  could  not  be  taken 
from  her  ;  and  it  was  this  which  urged  her  to 
deliver  herself  to  another  ruflian,  who  singly 
attacked  her.  "  I  am  the  wife  of  your  King, 
and  this  is  his  son — Save  us  !"  Such  was  the 
address  with  which  this  magnanimous  woman 
awakened  the  patriotism  of  a  lawless  robber. 
Struck  with  her  confidence,  or  respecting  her 
misfortunes,  the  man  swore  to  protect  her,  and 
kept  his  oath.  With  his  assistance,  she  es- 
caped with  her  child  to  Flanders. 

The  Earl  of  Warwick,  called  the  King- 
maker, from  his  alternately  raising  Edward 
and  Henry  to  the  throne,  was  now  desirous  to 
defend  the  latter.  Offended  with  Edward,  he 
drew  Henry  from  prison,  and  restored  him  to 
his  crown.  Edward  fled,  but  only  to  return 
with  augmented  forces.  At  Barnet,  in  a 
bloody  battle,  Warwick  was  killed,  and  Edward 
was  victorious.  The  Queen,  after  a  short 
agony  of  grief,  contrived  to  make  one  more 
effort  for  dominion.  At  the  battle  of  Tewkes- 
bury,  all  was  lost :  herself,  her  son,  and  her 
husband,  were  all  captives  to  the  enemy. 


196  THE    EASTERN    EMPIRE. 

Henry  was  killed  in  prison,  as  it  is  generally 
believed,  by  Richard,  Duke  of  Gloucester ; 
Margaret  survived  a  few  years,  and  died  in 
France. 

Her  son,  the  gallant  Edward,  when  asked  by 
his  conqueror  wherefore  he  took  up  arms? 
boldly  replied,  "  I  have  taken  up  arms  to 
avenge  my  father's  injuries,  and  assert  my  own 
rights."  A  generous  enemy  would  have  ap- 
plauded this  speech,  and  preserved  the  fearless 
speaker ;  but  Edward  IV.  was  not  such  an 
enemy.  He  struck  the  noble  youth ;  and  the 
cruel  Dukes  of  Gloucester  and  Clarence,  ta- 
king the  signal,  massacred  the  undaunted  Ed- 
ward on  the  spot. 


CHAPTER  XXXVI. 

EXTINCTION    OF    THE    EASTERN    EMPIRE    OF 
THE    ROMANS. 

WE  have  traced  the  history  of  the  Romans, 
from  the  foundation  of  their  city  to  the  removal 
of  the  seat  of  government  to  Constantinople. 
We  have  beheld  the  extinction  of  the  Western 
Empire,  and  seen  the  sceptre  of  the  Caesars 
pass  into  the  hands  of  the  Popes.  We  are  now 


THE    EASTERN    EMPIRE.  197 

to  note  the  extinction  of  the  Eastern  Empire, 
and  see  Constantinople  exchange  the  Greek 
Emperors  for  the  rule  of  a  Turkish  Sultan. 

Constantine  Palseologus  held  the  reins  of 
government  when  Mohammed  II.,  Sultan  of  the 
Turks,  planned  and  executed  the  wishes  of  his 
father,  Amurath  II.,  by  the  taking  of  Constan- 
tinople. It  is  curious,  that  the  founder  and  loser 
of  that  city,  like  the  founder  and  loser  of  Rome, 
should  bear  the  same  name  :  a  Romulus  founded 
Rome,  and  a  Romulus  lost  it ;  a  Constantine 
founded  Constantinople,  and  a  Constantine  lost 
it.  Judicious  reflection  on  such  coincidences 
greatly  assist  the  remembrance  of  the  events 
with  which  they  are  associated. 

Mohammed  vigilantly  and  ardently  pushed 
on  his  operations  against  this  city,  and,  after 
the  siege,  in  which  cannon  was  used  against  the 
walls,  he  effected  a  breach,  and  the  Turks  en- 
tered sword  in  hand.  The  siege  lasted  fifty 
days,  and  the  slaughter  was  immense.  It  has 
been  finally  said,  that  the  last  speech  of  Con- 
stantine Palaeologus  "was  the  funeral  oration 
of  the  Roman  Empire."*  The  nobles  fought 
around  the  Emperor  with  desperate  valor,  and 
he  seemed  only  fearful  of  falling  alive  into  the 
hands  of  the  barbarians.  "  Cannot  there  be 
*  Gibbon. 


198  THE    EASTERN    EMPIRE. 

found  a  Christian  to  cut  off  my  head  ?"  was  his 
mournful  exclamation.  The  death  he  sought  he 
found :  as  he  had  thrown  off  the  distinguishing 
purple,  his  body  lay  beneath  heaps  of  the  slain, 
unknown  and  unhonored. 

With  him  fell  the  last  pillar  of  the  Roman 
greatness ;  and,  of  all  its  ancient  splendor  and 
dominion,  nothing  now  remains  but  the  ruins  of 
her  palaces  and  columns,  and  the  account  re- 
corded in  the  historian's  page.  Do  not  forget, 
that  the  memorable  event  of  the  taking  of  Con- 
stantinople by  the  Turks,  under  Mohammed  II., 
took  place  on  the  29th  of  May,  1453.  A  pathetic 
description  of  this  interesting  circumstance  is 
given  by  Mr.  Gibbon ;  and  you  will  read  it,  I 
am  sure,  with  mournful  feelings. 

Disorder  and  rapine  reigned  in  the  conquered 
city  till  Mohammed  himself  entered  it ;  and  his 
first  care  was  to  preserve  the  magnificent  edi- 
fices that  met  his  eye.  Waving  his  scimitar,  he 
observed  that,  if  he  had  yielded  the  people  and 
their  property  for  spoil,  the  public  buildings  he 
reserved  for  himself.  The  churches  were  used 
as  mosques  ;  the  crosses  were  demolished ;  and 
every  vestige  of  the  Christian  religion  was  re- 
moved or  destroyed. 

As  Mohammed  gazed  upon  the  naked  walls 
of  the  palaces  of  so  many  illustrious  successors 


EDWARD    IV.  199 

of  Constantino,  he  is  related  to  have  repeated 
the  lines  of  a  Persian  poet,  of  which  the  follow- 
ing is  the  sense  : — "  The  spider  has  woven  his 
web  in  the  imperial  palace ;  and  the  owl  has 
sung  her  watch-song  on  the  towers  of  Afrasiab." 
How  true  a  comment  on  all  sublunary  splen- 
dor !  This  world,  "  and  all  that  it  inherits," 
shall  pass  away ;  and  the  place  and  the  persons 
now  most  illustrious  shall  one  day  be  as  the  dust 
of  the  earth  !  Wherefore  is  man  proud  of  ad- 
vantages, which  are  as  perishable  as  himself ! 


CHAPTER  XXXVII. 

EDWARD     IV. 

WHEN  you  recollect  that  the  early  part  of 
Edward's  reign  was  tarnished  with  the  cruel 
murder  of  the  gallant  son  of  his  predecessor, 
Henry,  and  afterward  stained  by  the  death  of 
that  monarch,  you  will  not  expect  much  glory 
or  happiness  to  attend  its  latter  period. 

Edward  IV.  was  deemed  remarkably  hand- 
some, and,  as  a  soldier,  very  brave ;  but  when  I 
tell  you  these  are  the  only  excellences  ascribed 
to  him,  you  will  have  little  inclination,  and  less 
cause  to  admire  him. 


200  EDWARD    IV. 

He  undertook,  indeed,  an  invasion  of  France, 
and  alarmed  the  French  King  with  a  formidable 
army.  But,  the  two  monarchs  meeting  on  the 
bridge  of  Pecquigny,  near  Amiens,  Louis  agreed 
to  pay  a  sum  of  money ;  and  Edward,  eager  to 
return  to  a  life  of  indolence  and  luxury,  imme- 
diately withdrew  his  forces.  Among  his  favorite 
ladies  was  Jane  Shore,  a  most  beautiful  and  ac- 
complished woman,  the  wife  of  a  merchant,  but 
who  left  her  husband  to  reside  with  her  hand- 
some lover.  You  shall  hear  more  of  her  by 
and  by. 

The  Duke  of  Clarence  had  fought  against 
Edward ;  but  afterward,  deserting  Warwick, 
he  took  the  part  of  the  King.  Edward, 
however,  never  forgave  him  his  early  enmity, 
and  was  glad  of  an  occasion  of  getting  rid  of 
him. 

The  King  was  once  hunting  in  the  park  of  a 
servant  of  the  Duke's,  and  killed  a  white  doe, 
of  which  Burdett  (the  Duke's  servant)  was  very 
fond.  The  owner  was  so  angry  when  he  heard 
of  the  destruction  of  his  favorite,  that  he  swore 
bitterly  against  the  King ;  and  for  this  violence 
he  was  tried  and  hanged.  The  Duke  heard  of 
Burdett's  death  with  the  greatest  grief ;  and, 
though  Edward  was  his  brother,  he  exclaimed 
against  the  injustice  of  his  conduct. 


EDWARD    IV.  201 

The  King,  dead  to  every  feeling  but  that  of 
revenge,  not  only  arraigned  Clarence  in  the 
House  of  Lords,  but  appeared  there  as  his  ac- 
cuser. When  the  monarch  was  so  unjust  and 
yet  so  despotic,  he  had  little  conscience  and 
small  difficulty  in  causing  the  condemnation  of 
whom  he  pleased.  The  Duke  was  declared  guil- 
ty, and  the  only  mercy  shown  him  was  his  being 
allowed  the  choice  of  his  death.  It  is  to  be 
presumed  that  Clarence  was  very  fond  of  wine, 
for  he  chose  to  be  drowned  in  a  butt  of  malm- 
sey ;  and,  being  plunged  head  foremost  into  a 
large  cask  of  this  liquor,  he  soon  expired. 

The  King  was  too  much  devoted  to  pleasure 
and  self-indulgence  to  live  long.  His  mind  de- 
based by  low  pursuits,  and  his  body  enfeebled 
by  idleness  and  luxury,  his  existence  was  worth- 
less, and  his  death  premature.  Being  seized 
with  a  disease  which  his  emaciated  constitution 
could  not  resist,  he  died  in  the  forty-second 
year  of  his  age  :  a  mournful  instance  of  abused 
prosperity. 

The  state  of  civilization  in  England  may  be 
understood  from  the  following  hints  of  the  con- 
veniences of  life  enjoyed  at  that  period.  In 
large  cities,  houses  were  roofed  with  thatch,  and 
chimneys  were  unknown.  Glass  windows  were 
seldom  seen  ;  and,  instead  of  carpets,  the  floors 


202  EDWARD    IV. 

were  covered  with  rushes,  or  straw.  Wine  was 
considered  as  a  medicine,  and  sold  in  small  quan- 
tities at  the  shops  of  apothecaries. 

In  France,  Charles  VII.  had  published  an 
order  that  none  should  presume  to  entertain 
with  more  than  two  dishes  and  a  mess  of  soup. 
How  different  the  present  state  of  France  and 
England ! 

The  happiness  of  the  latter  part  of  Charles 
VII.'s  life  was  interrupted  by  the  bad  conduct 
of  his  eldest  son,  afterward  Louis  XI.  He  re-. 
belled  against  his  father  several  times,  and 
wished  to  have  him  poisoned,  which  so  alarmed 
the  King,  that,  for  many  days,  he  refused  every 
kind  of  food ;  this,  joined  to  vexation  at  the  in- 
gratitude of  his  son,  caused  his  death  at  the  age 
of  sixty.  Charles  died  regretted  by  the  whole 
nation  ;  but  his  unnatural  son  refused  to  pay  the 
expenses  of  his  funeral,  and  they  were  borne  by 
Tanequi  Du  Chatel,  a  knight,  who  had  been 
always  faithfully  attached  to  the  King. 


RUSSIA    FREED    FROM    THE    TARTARS.    203 


CHAPTER   XXXVIII. 

RUSSIA    FREED    FROM    THE    TARTARS. 

IN  1462,  when  Ivan  Vassilievitch  I.  ascended 
the  throne  of  Moscow,*  Russia  was  divided  into 
many  small  principalities,  the  rulers  of  which 
were  continually  at  war  with  each  other.  Most 
of  them  were  tributary  to  the  Great  Duke  of 
Moscow,  and  he  and  all  of  them  were  vassals  to 
the  Tartars. 

To  prove  how  much  the  Great  Duke  was  in 
the  power  of  these  barbarians,  it  is  related  that, 
when  they  sent  an  embassy  to  Moscow,  the  am- 
bassadors were  seated  on  rich  furs  in  the  audi- 
ence chamber,  and  read  aloud  the  Khan's  letter ; 
whilst  the  Duke  and  his  nobles  knelt  around, 
and  respectfully  listened.  The  Duke  also  went 
forth  to  meet  the  ambassadors,  and,  as  a  token 
of  respect,  offered  them  a  cup  of  mare's  milk. 

Ivan  I.  delivered  his  country  from  this  igno- 
minious vassalage  ;  he  was  valiant  as  a  warrior, 
and  fortunate  as  a  statesman.  During  his  reign 
Moscow  was  first  visited  by  ambassadors  from 
the  several  powers  of  Europe  ;  and  he  relieved 
his  subjects  from  the  heavy  tribute  so  long  ex- 

*  See  Coxe's  Travels  in  Russia. 


204  RUSSIA    FREED 

acted  by  the  Tartars.  He  introduced  the  use 
of  gunpowder  into  Russia,  and  erected  many 
stately  edifices.  In  short,  he  seems  well  to  have 
earned  the  title  of  Great,  which  posterity  be- 
stowed upon  him  ;  since  he  gave  freedom  to  his 
people,  and  raised  their  credit  among  surround- 
ing nations.  His  mind  and  manners  were  much 
softened  and  improved  by  the  society  and  influ- 
ence of  his  wife  Sophia,  a  Grecian  princess, 
beautiful  and  accomplished.  She  was  the  niece 
of  the  brave  but  unfortunate  Constantine  Pa- 
Iseologus,  and  had  quitted  Constantinople  with 
her  father,  on  the  taking  of  that  city.  Sophia 
resided  some  time  at  Rome,  under  the  protection 
of  the  Pope,  who  arranged  her  marriage  with 
the  Great  Duke.  Probably,  it  was  by  Sophia's 
desire,  that  her  husband  introduced  Italian  ar- 
tists and  builders  into  his  dominions  ;  and  it  is 
related  that  she  urged  and  encouraged  him  in 
his  efforts  for  the  liberation  of  his  people.  All 
this  may  be  easily  believed,  for  Sophia  is  not  a 
solitary  example  of  female  heroism  and  female 
talent ;  history  records  the  names  of  many  wo- 
men who  have  benefited  and  refined  a  nation. 

Ivan  the  Great  died  in  1505  ;  his  tomb  is 
still  to  be  seen  in  the  cathedral  of  St.  Michael, 
in  the  Kremlin,  at  Moscow,  and  can  never  be 


FROM    THE    TARTARS.  205 

approached  without  inspiring  sentiments  of  re- 
spect in  the  spectator. 

The  Kremlin  is  a  portion  of  the  city  peculi- 
arly appropriated  to  the  use  of  the  sovereign. 
It  is  enriched  with  palaces,  churches,  convents, 
and  various  public  buildings,  and  is  described 
as  singularly  splendid  and  imposing. 

Ivan  is  sometimes  called  John  Basilides,  in 
history.  Remember  this,  that  you  may  not  be 
confused,  in  reading  different  accounts  of  the 
early  history  of  Russia.  The  son  of  Ivan  was 
very  unworthy  of  his  illustrious  parents,  and  dis- 
graced his  rank  as  much  as  they  had  honored 
theirs.  He  gave  himself  up  to  every  species  of 
folly  and  debauchery ;  and  it  is  reported  that,  in  a 
fit  of  passion,  he  killed  his  own  son.  It  seems, 
however,  that  he  gave  a  code  of  laws  to  his  sub- 
jects ;  some  of  which  were  excellent,  and  others 
most  wild  and  oppressive.  It  is  related,  that 
some  English  merchants,  landing  at  Archangel, 
proceeded  to  Moscow  during  his  reign,  and  were 
received  by  him  with  joy,  and  offered  his  protec- 
tion for  a  continuance  of  their  trade.  His  name 
is  distinguished  from  his  father's  by  the  odious 
appellation  of  the  tyrant  ! 


206  EDWARD  V. 


CHAPTER  XXXIX. 

EDWARD  V. 

THE  surviving  brother  of  Edward  IV.,  Rich- 
ard, Duke  of  Gloucester,  became  Protector  of 
England,  and  guardian  of  the  young  King,  Ed- 
ward V.,  a  boy  thirteen  years  of  age. 

Richard  contrived  to  have  the  King  and  his 
brother,  the  Duke  of  York,  placed  in  the  Tower, 
under  pretence  of  insuring  their  safety.  The 
Queen,  with  many  tears,  resigned  her  sons  to 
the  keeping  of  their  uncle,  of  whose  kindness 
and  fidelity  she  seems  to  have  had  some 
doubts. 

Richard  immediately  commenced  his  dark 
project  of  setting  aside  his  nephews,  and  ob- 
taining the  crown  for  himself. 

Once  proclaimed  King,  he  resolved  to  es- 
tablish himself  in  safety,  by  destroying  the 
rightful  heir.  Brackenbury,  the  governor  of 
the  Tower,  disdained  to  obey  the  mandate  of  the 
tyrant,  and  massacre  his  helpless  charge.  But 
a  less  conscientious  person  was  soon  found  to 
execute  the  horrid  deed  :  Sir  James  Tyrrel, 
without  hesitation,  promised  to  rid  Richard  of 
his  fears,  by  the  murder  of  his  innocent  and  un- 


TRUE  STORIES. 


MURDER    OF   THE   INFANT   PUISCKS.  Page  20T. 


EDWARD  V.  207 

protected  nephews.  He  introduced  three  ruf- 
fians into  the  Tower,  who,  entering  the  chamber 
of  'the  princes  at  night,  when  they  were  sleep- 
ing in  each  other's  arms,  smothered  them,  as 
they  lay,  with  the  holsters  of  their  bed.  These 
merciless  monsters  (men  I  cannot  call  them) 
then  carried  the  bodies  to  the  bottom  of  the 
stairs,  and  carelessly  threw  them  into  a  hole, 
dug  for  the  purpose,  which  they  covered  with  a 
heap  of  stones.  The  nation  knew  not  of  this 
black  deed  until  the  succeeding  reign,*  or  they 
would  probably  have  avenged  it.  It  was  given 
out,  that  the  princes  died  from  sickness  ;  and 
at  that  time  probably,  this  account  was  gene- 
rally believed. 

I  have  already  alluded  to  the  wicked  com- 
mencement of  the  reign  of  Louis  XI.  in  France : 
I  will  now  give  you  some  account  of  his  death, 
which  took  place  in  the  same  year  that  Edward 
V.  and  his  brother  are  reputed  to  have  been 
murdered. 

Louis  XL,  son  of  Charles  VIL,  King  of 
France,  proved  as  cruel  a  tyrant  on  the  throne, 

*  And  then  it  was  propagated  by  the  adherents  of  Henry 
VII.  who  had  slain  Richard  in  battle,  and  assumed  the 
crown.  My  young  readers  should  receive  the  popular  ac- 
counts of  Richard  III.  with  great  caution ;  the  perusal  of 
Walpole's  Historical  Doubts  may  help  them  to  obtain  a  cor- 
rect knowledge  of  his  conduct  and  character. 


208  CRUELTY  OF  LOUIS    XI. 

as  he  had  been  undutiful  as  a  son  ;  the  minis- 
ters he  employed  were  as  bad  as  himself,  par- 
ticularly one,  named  Tristan  the  Hermit,  who 
was  himself  the  accuser,  the  judge,  the  gaoler, 
and  the  executioner,  of  the  victims  whom  Louis 
sent  to  him.  The  King  was  very  superstitious, 
and  kept  at  his  court  several  astrologers,  who 
pretended  to  foretell  future  events  by  the  stars. 
One  of  these  men  having  offended  him,  he  order- 
ed him  to  be  brought  into  his  presence,  intending 
to  have  him  put  to  death  ; — "  Tell  me,"  said 
Louis,  "  thou  who  canst  foretell  all  things,  tell 
me  when  thou  shalt  die  !"  "I  shall  die,"  re- 
plied the  man,  "  three  days  before  your  majesty." 
By  this  ready  answer  he  saved  his  own  life  ; 
for  the  King  believed  him,  and  ordered  the 
greatest  care  to  be  taken  of  him. 

The  latter  part  of  Louis's  reign  was  even 
more  wicked  than  the  beginning  ;  for  he  caused 
his  brother  Charles,  Duke  of  Guienne,  to  be 
poisoned,  and  put  to  death  many  of  the  great 
nobles  ;  but  one  of  them,  the  Duke  De  Ne- 
mours, was  particularly  the  object  of  his  ven- 
geance. This  unfortunate  nobleman,  after  be- 
ing shut  up  for  some  time  in  an  iron  cage,  in 
the  prison  called  the  Bastille,  was  condemned 
to  be  beheaded ;  and  Louis  ordered  the  two 
young  sons  of  the  Duke  to  be  placed  directly 


HIS   DREAD   OF  DEATH.  209 

under  the  scaffold,  that  they  might  be  covered 
with  their  father's  blood !  He  then  sent  the 
two  boys  to  the  Bastille,  where  they  were 
thrown  into  deep  dark  dungeons,  and  taken  out 
twice  a  week  to  be  flogged,  in  the  presence  of 
the  governor.  All  kinds  of  barbarities  were 
inflicted  upon  them ;  so  that  the  elder  became 
an  idiot  whilst  he  remained  in  prison,  but  the 
younger  was  set  at  liberty  on  the  death  of 
Louis.  This  cruel  tyrant  suffered  more  tor- 
tures, for  some  time  before  he  died,  than  any  he 
had  occasioned  his  unfortunate  subjects  ;  for  he 
had  a  long  and  painful  illness,  and  his  con- 
science was  so  tormented  by  the  recollection  of 
his  crimes,  that  he  thought  of  death  with  dread 
and  horror.  History  records  that  he  had  gene- 
rally been  present  at  the  barbarous  executions 
of  his  miserable  victims,  and  seemed  to  tri- 
umph in  their  sufferings.  Many  of  the  nobles 
were  carried  about  in  iron  cages,  like  wild 
beasts  ;  while  others,  loaded  with  heavy  chains, 
had  their  feet  put  into  a  particular  kind  of  ring, 
called  the  King's  Nets.  His  consciousness  of 
guilt,  and  fear  of  punishment  in  the  other  world, 
haunted  him  continually ;  and  he  grew  suspicious 
of  every  one  around  him,  even  of  his  own  son 
and  daughter.  He  often  changed  his  servants, 
through  fear  of  them,  and  removed  from  one 
18 


210  DEATH    OF    LOUIS    XI. 

place  to  another,  taking  up  his  abode  at  last  in 
the  castle  of  Plessiz-les-Tours,  which  he  order- 
ed to  be  encompassed  with  large  bars  of  iron, 
in  the  form  of  a  grate,  with  a  watch-toAver  of 
iron  at  each  of  the  four  corners  of  the  building  ; 
soldiers  were  placed  all  round  and  in  the  watch- 
towers,  with  orders  to  shoot  any  one  who  should 
approach  the  castle  before  eight  o'clock  in  the 
morning,  when  the  courtiers  were  permitted  to 
enter.  In  the  day-time,  the  captains  were  com- 
manded to  guard  the  posts,  as  if  they  were  in  a 
town  closely  besieged  ;  so  constantly  was  the 
tyrant  in  fear  of  being  betrayed  and  murdered. 
Everything  was  done  to  prolong  the  life  of  this 
miserable  guilty  man,  and  to  keep  at  a  distance 
the  evil  he  dreaded.  He  sent  for  a  holy  hermit 
from  Italy,  at  whose  feet  he  kneeled,  and  whose 
prayers  to  Heaven  for  him  he  attempted  to  buy, 
by  building  him  two  convents.  He  paid  his 
physician  the  enormous  sum  of  ten  thousand 
crowns  a  month,  because  he  feared  he  might 
poison  him,  and  fancied  that  this  large  stipend 
would  induce  the  doctor  to  keep  him  alive  as  long 
as  possible.  At  last  he  died,  in  1483,  at  the 
age  of  sixty,  after  suffering  dreadful  agonies  of 
body  and  mind,  and  causing  fear  and  terror  to 
his  subjects  to  the  last  moment  of  his  life,  from 
his  continued  and  increasing  cruelties.  His 


RICHARD   III.  211 

dread  of  death  was  the  natural  consequence  of 
a  life  stained  with  every  vice ;  for  those  only 
may  hope  to  die  peacefully,  who  have  lived  vir- 
tuously. This  execrable  monarch  obtained  from 
the  Pope  the  title  of  "  Most  Christian  Ma- 
jesty," which  his  successors  have  ever  since  re- 
tained ! 


CHAPTER  XL. 

RICHARD    III. 

MANY  acts  of  cruelty  and  oppression  are  as- 
cribed to  Richard  III. :  let  us  hope  he  did  not 
commit  them  all. 

He  had  married  Anne,  widow  of  that  Edward, 
Prince  of  Wales,  whom  he  had  murdered  at 
Tewkesbury ;  and,  it  is  thought,  he  poisoned 
her,  to  make  room  for  another  wife.  He  much 
wished  to  espouse  Elizabeth,  the  daughter  of 
Edward  IV.,  in  order  to  strengthen  his  right 
to  the  throne ;  but  Elizabeth  scorned  to  ally 
herself  with  the  reputed  murderer  of  her  in- 
nocent brothers. 

Richard  had  not,  however,  much  time  to  de- 
vote to  thoughts  of  peace  and  domestic  arrange- 
ments. A  formidable  antagonist  appeared  to 


212  RICHARD   III. 

dispute  his  claim  to  the  crown  of  England. 
Henry,  Earl  of  Richmond,  remotely  descended 
by  the  female  line  from  John  of  Gaunt,  Duke  of 
Lancaster,  asked  for  Elizabeth  in  marriage ; 
and  proposed,  by  this  union  of  the  Houses  of 
York  and  Lancaster,  to  establish  a  double  right 
to  the  throne  ;  for  Elizabeth,  as  the  daughter  of 
Edward  IV.,  was  of  the  House  of  York. 

The  Earl  of  Buckingham,  the  former  friend 
of  Richard,  was  so  disgusted  by  his  ingrati- 
tude, that  he  supported  Richmond  in  his  de- 
mands. Tyrants  never  can  have  friends  ;  for 
friendship  must  be  founded  on  virtue.  Who 
can  love  and  esteem  vice  ?  Not  even  the  vicious. 

Richard  saw  the  danger  of  his  situation,  and 
prepared  to  defend  himself.  Buckingham  was 
betrayed  into  his  hands  by  one  of  his  own  ser- 
vants, in  whose  house  he  had  taken  shelter; 
and,  after  a  short  trial,  was  condemned  and  ex- 
ecuted. Henry  thus  early  lost  one  of  his  warm- 
est advocates ;  but  the  brave  never  despair. 
He  continued  his  efforts,  and  appeared  in  Wales 
with  a  train  of  two  thousand  persons.  Richard 
was  ready  to  receive  him  ;  and  the  two  armies 
met  on  Bosworth  field,  near  Leicester.  Though 
Henry's  army  was  not  half  so  large  as  that  of 
his  adversary,  yet  he  obtained  a  decisive  vic- 
tory. The  tyrant  fought  with  skill  and  brav- 


RICHARD   III.  213 

ery  ;  but,  seeing  all  was  lost,  he  rushed  with  a 
loud  shout  into  the  midst  of  the  enemy,  and 
soon  met  his  death.  His  hody  was  found,  amidst 
heaps  of  slain,  covered  with  wounds  ;  and,  being 
thrown  carelessly  across  a  horse,  he  was  carried 
to  Leicester,  and  buried  without  pomp  or  cere- 
mony. His  crown  being  picked  up  in  the  field 
by  one  of  the  soldiers,  was  presented  to  Henry, 
and  placed  on  his  head  ;  the  troops  crying  out, 
with  one  voice,  "  Long  live  King  Henry  !" 

Here  ended  the  race  of  Plantagenet ;  and 
here  ended  the  contests  of  the  Red  and  White 
Roses.  By  the  marriage  of  Henry  with  Eli- 
zabeth, the  opposing  Houses  were  united,  and 
civil  wars  for  a  while  prevented.  Lord  Stanley 
had  married  the  widow  of  Edward  IV. ;  and  as 
Richard,  therefore,  doubted  his  fidelity,  he  kept 
a  son  of  the  Earl's  as  a  hostage  for  the 
father's  allegiance.  But  Stanley,  sacrificing 
his  private  feelings  to  public  duty,  on  the  field 
of  Bosworth  carried  over  his  troops  to  Rich- 
mond. The  tyrant  instantly  ordered  young 
Stanley  to  be  killed,  in  revenge  for  his  father's 
desertion;  but,  happily,  in  the  hurry  of  the 
moment,  this  order  was  not  executed ;  and  the 
Earl  found  his  son  alive  and  safe  after  the  bat- 
tle was  over. 


214  HENRY  vii.  (TUDOR.) 

CHAPTER  XLI. 
HENRY  vii.     (TUDOR.) 

HENRY  VII.  gave  conspicuous  evidence  of 
the  excellence  of  the  virtue  of  econmy ;  for, 
by  refusing  to  spend  money  on  useless  wars 
and  worthless  favorites,  he  accumulated  so 
much  wealth  as  to  render  the  royal  treasury 
capable  of  meeting  every  just  and  honorable 
demand. 

Do  not  make  the  too  common  mistake  of 
confounding  economy  with  avarice.  Avarice 
means  the  saving  of  money  without  any  motive 
for  so  doing,  except  the  mean  gratification  of 
collecting  together  a  large  sum.  Economy,  on 
the  contrary,  implies  the  judicious  expenditure 
of  wealth ;  not  unwisely  saving,  but  wisely 
spending ;  and  so  steadily  abstaining  from  care- 
less and  useless  profusion,  as  more  fully  to 
possess  the  means  of  meeting  the  demands  of 
necessity,  justice,  and  generosity. 

Perhaps  Henry  carried  this  principle  too 
far ;  for  he  has  been  accused  of  parsimony 
toward  the  close  of  his  life.  His  son,  however, 
profited  by  the  riches  he  had  accumulated. 

Two  very  remarkable  events  occurred  during 
the  reign  of  Henry  VII.  His  crown  was  twice 


HENRY  vii.  (TUDOR.)  215 

disputed  by  impostors.  Lambert  Simnel,  a 
baker's  son,  was  instructed  to  counterfeit  the 
Earl  of  Warwick,  and  made  his  appearance  in 
Ireland,  pretending  to  be  the  Earl.  He  was 
received  with  great  honors  in  Dublin,  and  the 
Irish  believed  or  affected  to  believe  him.  The 
real  Warwick,  son  of  that  Duke  of  Clarence 
who  was  drowned  in  a  butt  of  Malmsey,  was 
then  a  prisoner  in  the  Tower.  He  was  shown 
to  the  people  of  London,  to  convince  them  that 
the  person  honored  in  Ireland  was  an  impostor. 
I  suppose  some  people  considered  the  son  of 
Clarence  and  the  nephew  of  Edward  IV.  as  the 
rightful  heir  to  the  throne. 

However,  Henry  routed  the  army  of  the  im- 
postor, and  took  Simnel  and  Simon  (the  man 
who  had  tutored  him)  prisoners.  Simon  was 
closely  imprisoned,  and  Lambert  Simnel  was 
made  a  scullion  in  the  King's  kitchen ;  a  curious 
reverse  of  fortune  for  a  would-be  king,  but  a 
proof  that  Henry  did  not  fear  him,  and  was 
disposed  to  lenity. 

Not  long  after  the  settlement  of  this  ridicu- 
lous affair,  another  impostor  appeared.  This 
was  a  young  man,  called  Perkin  Warbeck, 
whom  the  Duchess  of  Burgundy  had  taught  to 
personate  the  Duke  of  York,  who  was  generally 
believed  to  have  been  smothered  in  the  arms 


216  HENRY  vii.  (TUDOR.) 

of  his  brother,  the  little  King  Edward  V. 
Perkin,  however,  said  that  he  had  escaped 
from  the  assassins  of  his  brother ;  and,  calling 
himself  Richard  Plantagenet,  landed  in  Ireland, 
where  he  was  welcomed  by  the  Irish. 

The  Duchess  of  Burgundy  supported  him 
with  all  her  credit,  acknowledged  him  for  her 
nephew,  and  called  him  the  White  Rose  of 
England.  Charles  VIII.,  King  of  France, 
was  friendly  to  him  ;  and  the  people  of  England 
began  to  give  him  credit  for  being  what  he  pre- 
tended to  be. 

Henry  sent  to  Flanders,  where  he  obtained 
exact  intelligence  of  the  birth  and  parentage 
of  Warbeck,  and  then  commenced  decisive 
measures  against  him.  The  adventurer,  in  the 
mean  time,  had  obtained  belief  in  Scotland, 
and  was  married  to  Lady  Catherine  Gordon,  a 
relation  of  James  IV.,  King  of  the  Scots. 

In  spite,  however,  of  all  that  the  friends  of 
Perkin  attempted  in  his  favor,  he  fell  at  last 
into  the  hands  of  Henry.  Lady  Catherine, 
his  wife,  was  honorably  treated,  placed  near 
the  Queen,  and  allowed  a  pension ;  but  Perkin 
was  sent  into  confinement  in  the  Tower  of 
London.  From  this  fortress  he  contrived  to 
escape  ;  but,  being  shortly  recaptured,  he  was 
put  into  the  stocks,  and  then  carried  back  to 


HENRY  vii.  (TUDOR).  217 

the  Tower,  where  he  continued  to  repeat  his 
efforts  for  escape. 

The  appearance  of  a  third  impostor  compelled 
Henry  to  resort  to  severe  measures,  to  preserve 
the  peace  of  the  kingdom.  He  therefore  ordered 
Perkin  to  be  tried  for  his  deception  ;  and,  being 
convicted,  he  was  hanged.  The  guiltless  Earl 
of  Warwick  was  also  brought  to  trial ;  and  for 
the  crimes  of  others  and  the  sin  of  royal  birth, 
was  sentenced  to  be  beheaded.  State  policy 
dictated  his  death ;  and,  if  we  reflect  that  he 
had  been  a  prisoner  from  early  childhood,  we 
may  less  lament  his  premature  dissolution.  But 
it  was  an  act  which  cannot  be  justified. 

Henry  was  very  earnest  in  abstaining  from 
entering  into  foreign  wars,  and  usually  began 
the  terms  of  any  treaty  with  the  following  pacific 
words : — "  That  when  Christ  came  into  the  world, 
peace  was  sung  ;  and  when  He  went  out  of  the 
world,  peace  was  bequeathed."  It  would  be  well 
if  all  Christian  princes  remembered  this  truth, 
and  governed  accordingly. 

Henry  had  married  his  eldest  son,  Arthur,  to 
the  Infanta*  of  Spain,  Catherine,  the  daughter 
of  Ferdinand  and  Isabella.  But,  Arthur  shortly 
dying,  Catherine  was  next  espoused  to  Henry's 
second  son,  who,  by  his  brother's  death,  became 
*  Infanta,  the  title  of  the  daughter  of  the  King  of  Spain. 

s  19 


218  CHARLES    VIII. 

Prince  of  Wales,  and  afterward  reigned  as 
Henry  VIII. 

Henry  VII.  is  considered  as  one  of  the  best 
monarchs  that  ever  sat  on  the  English  throne. 
Except  Alfred,  perhaps  he  was  so ;  and  when 
you  have  read  a  more  extended  history  of  him, 
you  must  consider  how  much  praise  he  deserves. 
He  died  after  a  prosperous  reign  of  twenty- 
three  years,  in  the  fifty-second  year  of  his  age. 

The  celebrated  entry  of  Charles  VIII.,  of 
France,  into  Florence,  took  place  during  this 
reign. 

Charles  VIII.,  son  and  successor  of  Louis 
XI.,  pretended  a  right  to  the  crown  of  Naples, 
and  he  marched  an  army  into  Italy,  in  order  to 
establish  his  claim.  On  his  road,  he  had  to  pass 
through  the  celebrated  city  of  Florence,  where 
the  governors  and  the  people  wished  to  pay  him 
honor,  and  to  receive  him  as  their  visitor ;  but 
his  intentions  were  very  different ;  for  he  had 
determined  to  make  them  acknowledge  him  for 
their  master.  He  entered  into  the  city  through 
the  gate  of  San  Friano  on  the  evening  of  the 
17th  November,  1494,  and  was  received  under  a 
gilt  canopy,  carried  by  the  young  Florentine 
nobility.  The  clergy  surrounded  him,  singing 
hymns ;  and  he  was  welcomed  by  the  people 
with  every  demonstration  of  affection  and  joy. 


CHARLES    VIII.  219 

But  Charles  was  not  satisfied  with  this  recep- 
tion ;  for  he  wanted  the  submission,  not  the 
friendship,  of  the  Florentines.  He  carried  his 
lance  as  if  prepared  for  battle,  in  token  that  he 
entered  the  city  as  a  conqueror  ;  his  soldiers  fol- 
lowed him,  completely  armed,  and  with  threaten- 
ing looks  ;  and  their  strange  language  and  im- 
petuosity of  manner,  together  with  the  long  hal- 
berts  of  the  Swiss  troops,  which  had  never  been 
seen  in  that  part  of  Italy  before,  and  the  artil- 
lery, which  the  French  had  been  the  first  to 
move  about  with  their  armies,  inspired  quite  as 
much  terror  as  curiosity  and  surprise.  The  ad- 
vanced guard  was  composed  of  Swiss  and  Ger- 
mans, who  marched  to  the  sound  of  their  drums, 
and  with  colors  flying :  their  coats  were  short, 
and  of  various  colors,  cut  according  to  the  shape 
of  the  body ;  their  chiefs  wore  high  plumes  of 
feathers  on  their  helmets,  to  distinguish  them ; 
and  the  soldiers  were  armed  with  short  swords, 
and  lances  ten  feet  long ;  some  of  them  carried 
halberts  instead  of  lances,  the  iron  of  which  was 
like  a  sharp  axe.  The  first  rank  of  each  battalion 
was  covered  with  helmets  and  breast-plates,  and 
this  also  was  the  armor  of  the  captains ;  the 
others  had  no  defensive  armor.  After  the  Swiss, 
five  thousand  Gascon  cross-bow  men  marched, 
and  the  ease  with  which  they  drew  their  bows 


220  CHARLES    VIII. 


was  very  extraordinary  :  but  in  other  respects, 
their  diminutive  size,  and  the  plainness  of  their 
dress,  made  them  appear  to  great  disadvantage, 
compared  with  the  Swiss.  Next  came  the  cav- 
alry, which  was  composed  of  the  flower  of  the 
French  nobility,  whose  silk  cloaks,  helmets,  and 
gilt  collars,  were  very  splendid ;  their  horses 
were  large  and  strong,  and  each  cuirassier,  or 
horseman  in  armor,  was  followed  by  three  horses, 
the  first  mounted  by  a  page  armed  like  himself, 
and  the  two  others  by  squires.  The  light  horse- 
men carried  large  bows  and  arrows,  and  some 
of  them  had  a  short  pike,  to  pierce  those  whom 
the  heavy  horse  had  thrown  down  ;  their  cloaks 
were  ornamented  with  plates  of  silver,  which 
displayed  the  coats  of  arms  of  their  chiefs. 
Four  hundred  archers  marched  at  the  side  of 
the  King,  and  two  hundred  French  knights, 
chosen  from  the  highest  nobility,  surrounded 
him  on  foot ;  thirty-six  pieces  of  cannon  followed 
the  whole  army.  The  Florentines,  who  received 
these  unwelcome  guests  with  great  uneasiness, 
had  not,  however,  neglected  any  means  of  their 
own  defence ;  each  citizen  had  been  requested 
to  assemble  all  his  dependents  in  his  town- 
house,  and  to  keep  them  ready  armed  to  defend 
their  liberty,  if  the  alarm-bell  should  be  sounded. 
The  Condottieri,  or  leaders  of  the  soldiers,  in 


CHARLES    VIII.  221 

the  pay  of  Florence,  were  also  called  to  the  city, 
with  all  their  troops ;  and  by  the  side  of  the 
French  army,  which  had  taken  up  their  abode 
in  the  town,  another  army  was  secretly  formed, , 
and  ready  for  action  in  case  it  should  be  neces- 
sary. As  soon  as  the  King  of  France  had  taken 
up  his  abode  in  the  palace,  which  had  been  pre- 
pared for  him,  he  began  to  make  his  intentions 
known  to  the  governors  of  the  city.  His  first  de- 
mands caused  both  terror  and  surprise  ;  he  de- 
clared that,  as  he  had  entered  Florence  with  his 
lance  couched  (which  means  prepared  for  battle), 
he  considered  it  as  his  conquest,  and  that  he 
should  soon  decide  whether  he  would  allow  the 
late  rulers  to  govern  in  his  name,  or  appoint 
others.  The  Florentines  answered,  with  respect- 
ful firmness,  that  they  had  received  him  as  their 
guest,  and  had  not  wished  to  dictate  to  him  the 
manner  in  which  he  should  enter  their  city ;  but 
that  they  had  opened  their  gates  to  him  out  of 
respect,  and  not  from  being  forced  to  do  so,  and 
they  would  never  give  up  their  liberty  and  their 
independence,  either  to  him  or  to  any  other  per- 
son. Though  Charles  and  the  Florentines  were 
very  far  from  feeling  friendly  toward  each  other, 
yet  neither  party  wished  to  come  to  an  open 
quarrel.  The  French  were  astonished  at  the 
immense  numbers  of  people  in  Florence ;  at  the 


222  CHARLES    VIII. 

massy  and  strong  palaces  there,  which  seemed 
like  so  many  fortresses  ;  and  at  the  courage  the 
citizens  showed  :  they  were,  therefore,  afraid  of 
beginning  a  battle  in  the  streets,  where  they 
might  be  overwhelmed  with  stones,  &c.,  from 
the  windows  and  roofs  of  the  houses.  The 
Florentines  only  wished  to  gain  time,  and  to 
appear  bold  and  courageous,  till  it  should  please 
the  King  to  set  out  for  his  intended  conquest 
of  Naples.  The  conferences,  however,  still  con- 
tinued ;  and  Charles  gave  up  his  pretensions  to 
be  the  ruler  of  the  Florentines,  on  condition  that 
they  would  pay  him  a  sum  of  money ;  but  this 
sum  was  so  very  large,  that,  after  the  King's 
secretary  had  read  his  master's  declaration  that 
nothing  less  would  satisfy  him,  Peter  Capponi, 
one  of  the  Florentine  secretaries,  snatched  the 
paper  out  of  his  hand,  and  tore  it  into  pieces, 
crying  out,  "  Very  well,  if  this  be  the  case,  do 
you  sound  your  trumpets  of  war,  and  we  will 
ring  our  alarm-bells."  Without  waiting  for  a 
reply,  he  rushed  out  of  the  room ;  and  this  ap- 
pearance of  courage  had  such  an  effect  upon  the 
King  and  his  court,  that  they  called  him  back, 
for  they  thought  the  Florentines  must  be  well 
prepared,  or  they  would  not  dare  to  speak  so 
boldly,  when  they  knew  the  French  army  was 
within  their  city.  Charles  then  made  proposals 


AMERICA    DISCOVERED.  223 

much  more  moderate,  which  were  accepted  by 
the  Florentines  ;  and  a  treaty  of  peace  was  con- 
cluded, the  particulars  of  which  were  published 
in  the  Cathedral  of  Florence,  on  the  26th  of 
November,  during  divine  service,  both  parties 
swearing  most  solemnly  to  keep  the  terms  of 
the  treaty.  Two  days  after  this,  Charles  and 
his  army  quitted  Florence,  and  relieved  the  in- 
habitants from  their  great  uneasiness.  This 
King  succeeded  in  conquering  the  kingdom  of 
Naples  ;  and  then  returned  into  France,  where 
he  died  of  apoplexy,  in  1498,  at  the  early  age  of 
twenty-seven.  He  was  greatly  beloved  for  the 
goodness  of  his  disposition  and  his  agreeable 
manners,  which  gained  him  the  surnames  of 
«  Affable,"  and  "  Courteous." 


CHAPTER  XLII. 

AMERICA  DISCOVERED    BY    CHRISTOPHER    COLUM- 
BUS.    1494. 

SPAIN,  like  all  other  countries  in  their  early 
state,  was  composed  of  many  small  kingdoms. 
Granada  was  the  capital  city  of  the  Moors,  who 
continued  to  possess  a  large  territory  in  Spain. 

By  the  marriage  of  Isabella,  lioi*s*£  of  Cas- 


224  AMERICA    DISCOVERED    BY 

tille,  with  Ferdinand,  King  of  Arragon,  those 
two  monarchies  were  united.  Ferdinand,  by 
cunningly  causing  an  increase  of  rebellion  in 
the  kingdom  of  Granada,  where  a  nephew  was 
struggling  to  dethrone  his  uncle  and  make  him- 
self King,  so  effectually  weakened  both  parties, 
that,  on  the  death  of  one,  he  easily  conquered 
the  other,  and  made  himself  master  of  the  con- 
tested province. 

Thus  the  Moors  were  finally  expelled  from 
Spain ;  and  their  dominion  in  that  country 
ceased,  after  it  had  subsisted  about  eight  hun- 
dred years. 

By  the  union  of  so  many  principalities,  Fer- 
dinand enjoyed  such  extensive  authority,  that 
he  took  upon  himself  the  title  of  King  of  Spain. 

The  Jews,  banished  from  France  by  Charles 
VI.  in  1394,  were  expelled  from  Spain  by  Fer- 
dinand in  1492,  just  one  century  later:  and 
these  persecuted  people  have  continued  to  wan- 
der over  the  world,  without  possessing  any 
country  for  their  own,  yet  residing  in  all  as 
fugitives  and  exiles. 

The  wealth  of  Spain  was  to  be  supplied  by 
fresh  sources,  now  that  she  had  driven  away 
the  most  ingenious  and  industrious  of  her  artifi- 
cers, the  Jews. 

Christopher  Colon,  commonly  called  Colum- 


CHRISTOPHER    COLUMBUS.  225 

bus,  a  native  of  Genoa,  was  an  experienced  sail- 
or ;  and,  from  observations  he  had  made  during 
his  numerous  voyages,  and  from  reflection  on 
the  observations  of  others,  felt  assured  that  an- 
other continent  must  exist  in  the  space  between 
those  already  known. 

Look  at  the  map  of  the  world :  you  see  Eu- 
rope, Asia,  and  Africa,  are  united  to  each  other, 
and  so  contiguous  that  the  existence  of  each 
must  be  known  to  each.  But  America  stands 
in  the  expanded  ocean,  between  the  western  side 
of  Europe  and  Africa,  and  the  eastern  side  of 
Asia,  but  unconnected  with  either  of  the  three. 

The  Portuguese,  as  I  have  already  said,  had 
been  for  some  time  prosecuting  discoveries  on 
the  west  of  Africa ;  and  Columbus  had  been 
welcomed  in  Portugal  by  its  enlightened  and 
liberal  Prince,  Don  Henry.  Columbus  was 
convinced  that  a  passage  to  the  East  Indies  by 
sea  was  attainable,  as  also  that  vast  unknown 
lauds  remained  to  be  discovered.  By  reading 
his  life,  you  will  find  by  what  circumstances  and 
considerations  he  came  to  this  conviction  ;  and 
hence  it  will  be  seen  that  the  discovery  he  made 
was  not  by  accident,  but  the  result  of  the  rea- 
soning of  a  great  miftd. 

In  the  prosecution  of  his  mighty  undertaking, 
he  required  ships,  men,  and  money,  and  the  pro- 


226  AMERICA    DISCOVERED    BY 

tection  of  some  sovereign  power.  He  applied 
to  the  Genoese,  to  Portugal,  Spain,  and  England, 
and  was  by  all  those  powers  refused  assistance. 
Ferdinand  and  Isabella,  the  sovereigns  of  Spain, 
at  length  agreed  to  forward  the  views  of  the 
enterprising  Columbus.  By  their  aid,  he  com- 
menced his  voyage,  and  never  gave  up  the  pur- 
suit until  he  had  fully  discovered  the  extensive 
continent  of  America.  This  was  not  easily  ef- 
fected :  few  valuable  labors  are  easy  of  execu- 
tion. But  the  great  mind  of  Columbus  was 
aware  of  this  :  he  expected  difficulties ;  he  was 
prepared  to  combat,  and,  if  possible,  overcome 
them  ;  and  he  did  so.  To  read  in  a  book  that 
Columbus  discovered  America,  raises  in  the 
mind  no  ideas  of  the  numerous  and  severe  hard- 
ships and  disappointments  encountered  in  the 
pursuit ;  but  read  the  narrative  of  his  voyage 
of  discovery,  and  you  will  better  appreciate  the 
various  merits  of  the  navigator — his  patience, 
perseverance,  fortitude,  and  ingenuity.  You 
will  better  comprehend,  that,  if  you  desire  to 
be  eminent  in  any  way,  you  must  exert  all  your 
faculties,  never  remit  your  exertions,  never  de- 
spair of  the  accomplishment  of  your  rational 
expectations. 

You  will  be  as  angry  as  is  every  one  else  that 
the  real  discoverer  of  the  New  World  did  not 


CHRISTOPHER    COLUMBUS.  227 

give  his  name  to  it.  Americus  Vespucius,  a 
Florentine  gentleman,  had  that  undeserved 
honor,  although  he  did  not  visit  the  country  till 
some  years  after  Columbus  had  landed  on  it. 

It  is  with  severe  regret  I  inform  you,  that, 
after  performing  this  eminent  service  to  Spain — 
after  having  given  such  undeniable  testimony 
of  a  superior  mind — a  base  cabal  united  against 
Columbus.  On  some  trifling  and  unfounded 
charges,  he  was  removed  from  the  government 
of  his  newly  discovered  country,  which  had  been 
solemnly  promised  to  him  as  the  reward  of  his 
exertions,  and  sent  to  Spain  loaded  with  fetters. 
The  captain  of  the  vessel,  shocked  at  the  un- 
grateful conduct  of  his  countrymen,  approached 
his  illustrious  prisoner  with  respect,  and  offered 
to  take  off  his  chains.  "  No  !"  said  the  indig- 
nant captive :  "  the  rulers  of  Spain  have  given 
orders  for  my  bondage,  and  I  will  obey  them  in 
this,  as  Lhave  done  in  all  other  commands.  By 
their  will  I  am  fettered — by  their  will  alone 
will  I  oeireed." 

Ferdinand  blushed  for  his  injustice,  and  libe- 
rated his  noble  prisoner,  but  never  rewarded 
him.  Columbus,. after  a  life  dignified  by  extra- 
ordinary talent  and  *erit,  died  at  Valladolid, 
worn  out  with  fatigue,  sorrow  and  disappoint- 


AMERICA    DISCOVERED. 

ment — a  memorable  instance  of  the  ingratitude 
of  kings  ! 

His  funeral  was  splendid — the  tardy  homage 
to  excellence  ;  and  words  to  the  following  effect 
were  inscribed  on  his  tomb,  in  Spanish.  I  give 
you  the  brief  but  comprehensive  epitaph  in 
English  : 

"  To  Castille  and  Leon 
A  new  world  gave  Colon." 

You  will  suppose  that  only  a  small  part  of 
America  was  discovered  by  Columbus,  and  that 
by  degrees  its  extent  and  form  were  ascertained. 
Of  its  aborigines  (native  inhabitants)  you  must 
read  a  full  account.  Some  of  them  are  wild 
savages  ;  but  the  Peruvians  and  Mexicans  were 
found  in  a  very  advanced  state  of  civilization. 

The  Empire  of  Mexico  had  subsisted  for  a 
century  ;  that  of  Peru,  governed  by  its  Incas, 
was  also  a  flourishing  state.  Both  were  adorned 
with  magnificent  cities  ;  and,  being  rich  in  gold 
and  silver  mines,  tempted  the  avarice  of  the 
Spaniards.  Mexico  was  conquered  l^PCortez, 
1521 ;  Peru  was  ravaged  and  subjugated  by 
Pizarro,  1527. 

I  forbear  to  describe  the  inhuman  cruelties 
practised  by  the  Spaniards  on  these  unoffending 
people.  Your  hearts  will  bleed  when  you  read 
of  them  :  my  hand  is  not  firm  enough  to  write 


LOUIS  xii.  229 

of  them.  I  can  only  tell  you,  that  every  form 
of  injustice,  barbarity,  insult,  and  rapine,  was 
committed  by  the  refined  people  of  Spain  on  the 
ill-fated  aborigines  of  America. 

A  couple  of  years  after  the  discovery  of  Co- 
lumbus, the  Portuguese,  under  Vasco  de  Gama, 
obtained  their  long-desired  object,  by  doubling 
the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  and  reaching  the  Mal- 
abar coast,  on  the  western  side  of  the  continent 
of  India.  Consult  your  maps  ;  trace  the  voy- 
ages of  these  two  great  navigators,  and  fix  the 
era  of  their  discoveries  in  your  memories. 

In  France,  Charles  VIII.,  who  died  without 
children,  was  succeeded  by  the  Duke  of  Orleans, 
under  the  title  of  Louis  XII.  He  was  the 
nearest  relation  to  the  late  King,  and  was  called 
the  "  Father  of  his  People  ;"  which  he  merited 
in  many  respects.  He  had  received  many  inju- 
ries and  insults  from  some  of  the  nobles  before 
he  caj|^^a  the  throne,  which  his  courtiers  re- 
mindeq^Bk  of  on  his  becoming  King,  recom- 
mending  him  to  avenge  himself,  now  he  had  the 
power  ;  but  he  replied,  that  "  the  King  of  France 
did  not  wish  to  punish  affronts  shown  to  the 
Duke  of  Orleans."  jjfrut  his  fatal  ambition  of 
reigning  in  Italy  broi^ht  great  misfortunes  on 
himself  and  his  people.  Besides  pretending  to 
the  crown  of  Naples,  he  laid  claim  to  the  duchy 


230  LOUIS  xn. 

of  Milan,  in  right  of  one  of  his  grandmoth- 
ers. 

In  1501,  Louis  passed  into  Italy  with  an 
army  of  20,000  men,  and  in  three  weeks  made 
himself  master  of  Milan  and  the  republic  of 
Genoa.  The  King,  clad  in  ducal  robes,  entered 
the  former  city  in  triumph,  and  happy  had  it 
been  for  himself  and  his  subjects  could  he  have 
been  satisfied  with  his  conquest ;  but  he  enter- 
ed into  alliance  with  Ferdinand,  King  of  Spain, 
in  order  to  drive  the  King  of  Naples  from  his 
kingdom,  and  divide  it  between  them  :  in  this 
they  succeeded ;  but,  afterward  quarrelling 
about  the  division,  from  friends  they  became 
bitter  enemies.  The  Spaniards,  under  their 
great  captain,  Gonsalvo  de  Cordova,  stripped 
the  French  of  all  they  had  gained  in  Naples, 
and  secured  the  whole  kingdom  for  their  master, 
King  Ferdinand.  On  one  occasion,  a  Spanish 
general,  named  Mendoza,  who  commajded  a 
number  of  Italian  Soldiers  in  the  service  of 
Spain,  took  a  great  many  of  the  Frencn prison- 
ers, and  among  them  Charles  de  la  Mothe,  an 
officer  of  distinction.  He  was  invited,  the  next 
day,  to  a  feast  at  Menctaai's  table,  whose  pris- 
oner he  was  ;  and  the  Spmiards,  in  talking  over 
the  battle  that  had  been  fought  the  day  before, 
did  justice  to  the  bravery  of  the  French,  and 


THE    CHALLENGE.  231 

attributed  their  success  to  the  intrepidity  and 
discipline  of  the  Italian  cavalry.  The  French- 
man was  very  ready  to  allow  the  merits  of  the 
Spaniards,  but  thought  it  an  affront  that  the 
Italians,  for  whom  he  felt  a  great  contempt, 
should  be  reckoned  better  soldiers  than  the 
French  ;  and  he  insisted  that  the  Italians  had 
been  so  often  conquered  as  to  make  it  impossi- 
ble for  them  to  be  equal  to  the  French  in  any 
sort  of  combat,  or  with  any  sort  of  arms.  He 
repeated  the  same  sentiment  on  the  following 
day,  in  the  presence  of  the  Italian  commander, 
Prosper  Colonna,  who  called  upon  him  to  prove 
his  assertion.  The  honor  of  the  two  nations 
now  appeared  to  be  at  stake,  and  the  two  gene- 
rals consented  to  decide  the  quarrel  by  a  battle 
between  thirteen  Italian  soldiers  and  as  many 
French.  The  combatants  were  to  meet  in  a 
field  inclosed  for  the  purpose,  (which  kind  of 
inclosiH^was  called,  in  those  days,  "  the  Lists  ;") 
aii'l  th^l  ^w  were  to  fight  to  the  last  extrem- 
ity, l^^^nclosure  was  marked  out  with  a 
plough,  and  it  was  agreed  that  whoever  should 
be  driven  beyond  the  Lists,  should  be  declared 
conquered,  and  not  allowed  to  take  any  farther 
part  in  the  battle.  IBeT  commander s-in-chief 
on  each  side  had  consented  to  a  truce,  and  each 
had  advanced  with  his  army,  ranged  in  order  of 


LOUIS    XII. 

battle,  to  guard  the  inclosure.  The  champions 
had  been  chosen  with  great  care,  particularly 
on  the  Italian  side,  as  the  honor  of  their  coun- 
try seemed  most  interested.  According  to  the 
terms  of  La  Mothe's  challenge,  each  party  was 
to  arm  himself  in  any  manner  he  thought  most 
to  his  advantage  ;  so  that  they  were  very  differ- 
ently prepared.  The  lances  of  the  Italians 
were  a  foot  longer  than  those  of  the  French,  and 
they  had  besides  stuck  two  spears  in  the  ground, 
to  be  ready  for  any  knight  who  might  be  thrown 
from  his  horse  ;  the  vanquished  were  to  remain 
prisoners  to  the  conquerors,  till  each  had  paid 
a  hundred  crowns  of  gold  for  his  ransom.  This 
combat,  which  the  Italians  thought  of  more  im- 
portance than  a  regular  battle,  was  fought  on 
the  13th  of  February,  1503 ;  their  champions 
were  chosen  from  the  cavalry  of  Prosper  Colon- 
na,  who  had  taken  care  to  select  them  from 
every  part  of  Italy.  The  good  wishfi|^f  the 
generals,  of  the  army,  and  of  the  people,  accom- 
panied them  :  and  it  is  not  to  be  w^B^ed  at, 
that  an  oppressed  nation,  who  were  more  divided 
than  conquered,  and  who  shed  their  blood  for 
strangers,  without  having  the  power  to  fight  for 
their  own  independenbe^hould  be  anxious  to 
vindicate  their  honor,  when  everything  else  was 
lost  for  them.  Instead  of  rushing  on  their  ad- 


LOUIS  xn.  233 

\rersaries  full  gallop,  as  the  French  did,  they 
waited  firmly  for  them,  and  by  this  means  threw 
them  into  confusion.  Some  of  the  French 
horses  became  unruly,  and  got  beyond  the  Lists, 
•which  excluded  their  riders  from  the  battle ; 
other  knights  were  thrown  down  by  the  longer 
lances  of  the  Italians,  without  being  able  to 
reach  them  in  their  turn.  Two  Italian  knights, 
who  were  thrown  from  their  horses  at  the  first 
attack,  laid  hold  of  the  javelins  which  were  in 
the  ground,  and  overturned  many  of  the  French 
horses  with  them.  One  single  Frenchman  was 
killed  ;  his  comrades,  overthrown  one  after  an- 
other, submitted  to  the  Italians,  who  made  them 
prisoners  ;  and,  after  a  severe  struggle,  they 
acknowledged  themselves  conquered,  and  were 
led  in  triumph  to  Barletta.  Not  one  of  them 
had  brought  the  crowns  for  his  ransom,  for  they 
had  not  thought  it  possible  that  they  should  be 
were  equally  surprised  and  mor- 
punishment  which  their  arrogance 
and  presumption  had  brought  upon  them. 


20 


234 


HENRY    VIII. 


CHAPTER  XLIIL 

HENRY    VIII.    KINO    OF    ENGLAND. 

WE  are  now  come  to  a  very  interesting  por- 
tion of  history  ;  for  in  the  reign  of  Henry  VIII. 
a  new  form  of  religion  was  introduced  into 
Europe,  and  established  in  England.  The 
Roman  Catholic  religion,  of  which  the  Pope  was 
the  head,  had  been  the  religion  of  the  civilized 
world  for  many  centuries,  and  had  originated  in 
the  doctrines  of  Jesus  Christ. 

But  some  persons  began  in  time  to  consider 
that  the  Roman  Catholic  was  not  precisely  the 
religion  taught  by  Christ,  and  they  gradually 
formed  a  new  creed. 

Martin  Luther,  a  monk  of  the  order  of  St. 
Augustine,  was  displeased  at  some  of  the  ordi- 
nances of  the  Pope,  and  publicly  reprobated  them. 
Now  the  power  of  the  Pope  at  tins  epocha  was 
enormous.  You  have  seen  him  take  T^ay  and 
bestow  crowns,  and  lay  monarchs  and  nations 
under  the  penalty  of  excommunication.  Reflect- 
ing persons  began  to  doubt  whether  such  ex- 
cessive authority  ought  to  be  possessed  by  any 
individual ;  and  also  whether  the  Pope  rightly 
explained  and  faithfully  performed  the  precepts 


KING    OF    ENGLAND.  235 

of  the  blessed  Jesus.  These  reflections  caused 
the  momentous  subject  to  be  more  closely  in- 
vestigated ;  and  a  party  soon  appeared,  profess- 
ing a  new  faith. 

As  the  members  of  this  new  faith  solemnly 
protested  against  some  articles  of  belief  they 
were  required  to  accept,  they  were  called  Pro- 
testants ;  a  title  by  which  professors  of  the 
new  form  of  religion  have  ever  since  been 
known.  Luther  was  at  the  head  of  the  Reform- 
ers in  Germany :  but  the  English  monarch 
wrote  a  book  in  favor  of  the  Pope,  for  which 
composition  his  Holiness  conferred  upon  him 
the  title  of  "  Defender  of  the  Faith."  But 
mark  the  inconsistency  of  Henry.  He  hap- 
pened afterward  to  fall  in  love  with  a  beautiful 
lady,  called  Anne  Boleyn ;  and,  that  he  might 
marry  her,  desired  to  be  divorced  from  his  wife 
Catherine.  Marriage  being  a  holy  rite,  the 
Pope,  as  head  of  the  church  in  those  times,  was 
the  odBlp&rson  who  could  authorize  a  divorce. 
To  hiin/tnerefore,  Henry  applied  for  the  priv- 
ilege of  separating  himself  from  Catherine,  on 
the  plea  of  her  being  too  nearly  related  to  him 
(as  the  widow  of  his  brother)  for  her  second 
marriage  to  be  lawful.  Because  the  Pope 
would  not  consent  to  this  request,  Henry,  in  a 
violent  rage,  denied  the  supremacy  of  his  Holi- 


236  HENRY    VIII. 

ness,  called  himself  "  Head  of  the  Church," 
divorced  Catherine,  and  married  the  fair  Anne 
Boleyn. 

A  new  form  of  religion  was  now  instituted ; 
a  translation  of  the  Bible  into  English  was 
ordered  to  be  read  -in  the  churches,  and  all 
monasteries  were  dissolved.  Pray  remember 
this,  as  the  period  of  the  Reformation  in  Eng- 
land—1534. 

Besides  the  two  already  named,  Henry  had 
four  wives  ;  in  all,  six  ;  and  his  cruelty  toward 
them  all  has  rendered  him  infamous  in  every 
well-regulated  mind.  They  were  in  the  follow- 
ing order : 

1.  Catherine  of  Arragon  was  divorced ;  and, 
with   her  little  daughter  Mary,  retired  from 
court,  and  spent  the  remainder  of  her  days  in 
peace  and  privacy. 

2.  Anne  Boleyn  was   beheaded,  under  pre- 
text of  faultiness  ;  but,  in  reality,  because  her 
husband  was  tired  of   her,  and   in  love  with 
another   lady.     Anne   left  a   daughter,  called 
Elizabeth. 

3.  Jane    Seymour,   the    next    Queen,    only 
escaped  the  tyrant's  cruelty  by  her  early  death, 
which  was  accompanied  with  some  circumstances 
of  inhumanity  on  the  part  of  Henry.     Edward 
VI.  was  her  son. 


KING    OF    ENGLAND.  237 

4.  Anne  of  Cleves,  a  German  princess,  was 
espoused   by  Henry,  to  strengthen  his  power 
abroad ;  but,  as  she  was  not  handsome,  he  soon 
divorced  her. 

5.  Catherine  Howard  now  became  his  wife, 
and  so  remained  till  he  wished  for  a  fresh 
bride.     She   had   certainly  been  very   faulty, 
and,  being  tried  for  her  crimes,  was  beheaded. 

6.  Catherine  Parr  was   the   sixth  and  last 
wife  of  this  English  Bluebeard,  and  she  stood 
a   chance  of   suffering   by  his   tyranny;    but, 
acting  with  the  greatest  circumspection,  she 
secured  her  safety,  and  survived  her  cruel  hus- 
band. 

It  would  have  been  well,  if  Henry  had  only 
acted  cruelly  as  a  husband ;  but  a  long  cata- 
logue of  sufierers,  during  his  reign,  mournfully 
denotes  his  barbarously  despotic  temper. 

His  favorite  (for  he  had  no  friends)  was 
Thomas  Wolsey,  the  son  of  a  gentleman  at 
Ipswich,  not  of  a  butcher,  as  it  is  sometimes 
reported.'  Wolsey  made  himself  very  useful 
to  the  King,  and  hence  gained  great  power  and 
riches.  He  contrived  to  be  elected  one  of  the 
cardinals  of  Rome  (a  body  of  eminent  persons, 
from  among  whom  the  Pope  is  chosen),  and  he 
had  some  expectation  of  being  chosen  Pope 
himself.  In  this  he  was  disappointed ;  and  his 


238  HENRY    VIII. 

enormous  wealth  drew  on  him  the  displeasure 
of  his  royal  master.  Despoiled  of  all  his 
authority,  and  of  all  his  possessions,  he  died, 
broken-hearted  and  humbled,  at  Leicester  Ab- 
bey ;  bequeathing  to  posterity  these  memorable 
•words  : — "  Had  I  served  my  God  half  as  dili- 
gently as  I  have  served  my  King,  he  would 
not  have  forsaken  my  gray  hairs." 

Henry  made  a  rather  better  figure  abroad 
than  he  did  at  home.  His  meeting  with  Fran- 
cis I.,  King  of  France,  was  attended  with 
every  circumstance  of  magnificence.  It  took 
place  near  Calais ;  and,  from  the  splendor  dis- 
played by  both  sovereigns,  the  place  so  distin- 
guished was  called  "  The  Field  of  the  Cloth  of 
Gold."  Henry  met  Francis  with  great  cordial- 
ity, and  they  retired  together  into  a  rich  tent. 
As  they  met  to  complete  a  treaty  of  alliance, 
Henry  began  reading  the  articles  of  it :  "  I, 

Henry,  King ."*  He  stopped  a  moment, 

and  instead  of  adding  the  customary  term  "  of 
France"  only  subjoined  "of  England."  Fran- 
cis observed  and  applauded  this  delicacy ;  and 
really,  I  think,  it  did  Henry  great  honor. 

Francis  was  not  behind-hand  in  generosity ; 
for  he  was  truly  a  gallant  prince.  Instead  of 

*  From  the  time  of  Henry  V.,  the  Kings  of  England  had 
assumed  the  title  of  Kings  of  France. 


DEATH    OF    HENRY.  289 

visiting  Henry  surrounded  by  guards,  as  was 
the  custom  of  royal  visitors,  Francis  one  morn- 
ing galloped  to  the  tent  of  Henry,  attended 
only  by  a  couple  of  gentlemen,-  calling  out  to 
the  English  guards,  as  he  passed  them,  "  We 
are  your  prisoners." 

Henry  was  charmed  with  this  mark  of  con- 
fidence, and,  politely  acknowledging  himself 
the  captive  (as  bound  by  the  chain  of  obliga- 
tion), he  placed  a  collar  of  pearls  on  the  neck 
of  Francis,  begging  him  to  wear  it  for  the  sake 
of  the  prisoner.  Francis  graciously  accepted 
the  gift,  and  gave  Henry  a  bracelet  of  great 
value.  From  that  moment,  the  Kings  lived 
together  in  the  greatest  harmony  and  friend- 
ship, and  parted  with  regret. 

After  a  long  and  painful  illness,  Henry  ex- 
pired in  the  fifty-sixth  year  of  his  age  and 
thirty-eighth  of  his  reign. 

Of  Francis  I.  and  his  General,  the  Chevalier 
Bayard,  I  have  some  interesting  anecdotes. 

Francis  having  married  the  daughter  of  Louis 
XII.,  succeeded  him  on  the  throne,  because  he 
had  no  son.  As  soon  as  Francis  was  settled 
on  the  throne,  he  prepared  for  an  expedition 
into  Italy ;  and,  having  passed  the  Alps,  he 
gained  a  famous  battle  against  the  Swiss,  at 
Marignan,  near  Milan,  which  continued  for  two 


240  DUKE    OF    BOURBON. 

days,  and  was  one  of  the  most  furious  and  ob- 
stinate combats  recorded  in  modern  history. 
But  all  the  states  in  Italy,  with  the  Pope,  the 
Emperor  of  Germany,  and  the  King  of  Eng- 
land, united  together  against  France  ;  and,  what 
made  this  union  still  more  formidable  was,  the 
revolt  of  the  Duke  of  Bourbon,  Grand  Con- 
stable of  France,  and  the  greatest  subject  in 
the  kingdom.  He  was  a  very  brave  general, 
and  had  gained  great  glory  in  the  battle  of  Ma- 
rignan  ;  but  the  King,  instead  of  recompensing 
him  as  he  deserved,  took  every  occasion  to  mor- 
tify him ;  and  the  King's  mother,  a  woman  of  a 
very  violent  temper,  who  hated  Bourbon,  did 
all  in  her  power  to  make  Francis  his  enemy. 
The  estates  of  the  Duke  .were  most  unjustly 
taken  from  him,  and  he  was  so  ill-used,  that  at 
length  he  determined  to  join  the  enemies  of  his 
sovereign.  One  of  the  bravest  and  most  loyal 
knights  in  the  service  of  the  King  was  the 
Chevalier  Bayard,  who  had  distinguished  him- 
self upon  many  occasions,  and  by  his  honorable 
and  heroic  conduct  had  obtained  the  appellation 
of  "  the  Knight  without  fear  and  without  re- 
proach." In  times  of  real  danger,  he  was  al- 
ways at  the  post  of  greatest  difficulty  and  im- 
portance, and  his  gallantry  inspired  courage  in 
all  whom  he  commanded.  But  his  country  had 


DEATH    OF    BAYARD.  241 

to  mourn  his  loss  at  a  time  when  his  services 
were  most  wanted ;  for,  in  one  of  the  battles 
fought  in  Italy  between  the  Emperor's  troops 
and  the  French,  in  1524,  he  received  a  wound, 
which  he  immediately  felt  would  cause  his 
death  ;  and,  being  unable  to  sit  on  horseback, 
he  ordered  one  of  his  attendants  to  place  him 
under  a  tree,  with  his  face  turned  toward  the 
enemy,  observing  that,  as  he  had  never  turned 
his  back  to  an  enemy  during  his  life,  he  ought 
not  to  do  so  in  the  hour  of  death  :  then,  fixing 
his  eyes  on  the  guard  of  his  sword,  which  he 
held  up  instead  of  a  cross,  he  addressed  his 
prayers  to  God  ;  and  in  this  posture  he  calmly 
waited  the  approach  of  death.  The  Duke  of 
Bourbon,  who  led  the  advance  of  the  enemy's 
troops,  found  him  in  this  situation,  and  express- 
ed his  regret  and  pity  at  the  sight.  "  Pity  not 
me,"  said  the  brave  soldier  ;  "  I  die  as  a  man 
of  honor  ought  to  die,  in  the  discharge  of  my 
duty ;  but  they  are  objects  of  pity,  indeed,  who 
fight  against  their  King,  their  country,  and 
their  oath !"  The  Marquis  of  Pescara,  the 
imperial  general,  passing  soon  after,  showed  his 
admiration  of  Bayard's  virtues,  as  well  as  his 
sorrow  for  his  situation,  with  the  generosity  of 
a  gallant  enemy  ;  and  finding  that  he  could  not 
be  removed  with  safety  from  the  spot  where  he 
u  21 


242  GUSTAVUS    VASA, 

lay,  ordered  a  tent  to  be  pitched  there,  and 
proper  persons  to  take  care  of  him  ;  but  he  died 
notwithstanding,  as  his  ancestors  had  died  for 
several  generations,  in  the  field  of  battle.  Pes- 
cara  ordered  his  body  to  be  sent  to  his  rela- 
tions ;  and  it  was  received  with  the  greatest 
honors  in  all  the  cities  through  which  it  passed. 
In  Dauphine,  the  province  of  France  in  which 
Bayard  was  born,  people  of  all  ranks  came  out 
in  solemn  procession,  to  show  it  respect. 

This  period  was  enriched  with  many  learned 
and  elegant  writers,  and  other  great  men  : — 
Raphael,  the  painter  ;  Cardinal  Ximenes,  the 
statesman  ;  Machiavel,  the  historian  ;  Ludovico 
Ariosto,  the  poet ;  Guicciardini,  the  historian  ; 
Copernicus,  the  philosopher ;  Erasmus  ;  and  the 
excellent  Sir  Thomas  More.  This  last  was  as 
remarkable  for  his  virtue  as  for  his  erudition ; 
yet,  in  the  blindness  of  false  zeal,  he  was  be- 
headed for  not  acknowledging  the  supremacy 
of  King  Henry  VIII. 


CHAPTER  XLIV. 

GUSTAVUS    VASA,    KING    OF    SWEDEN. 

MARGARET  of  Valdimar,  called  "  the  Semi- 
ramis  of  the  North,"  by  the  treaty  of  Calmar, 


KING    OF    SWEDEN.  243 

not  only  united  the  three  crowns  of  Norway, 
Sweden,  and  Denmark,  but  enjoyed  those  crowns, 
and  bequeathed  them  to  her  successor,  Eric. 
Christian  II.  was  the  last  monarch  who  profited 
by  the  union  of  Calmar.  In  order  firmly  to  es- 
tablish himself  in  absolute  power,  he  projected 
and  executed  one  of  those  barbarous  schemes, 
which  a  tyrant  only  could  propose,  a  tyrant  only 
perpetrate.  This  was  nothing  less  than  the  mas- 
sacre of  all  the  nobles  of  Sweden,  so  that  that 
unhappy  country  might  lie  without  defence,  at 
the  mercy  of  the  sanguinary  Christian.  How 
ill  did  his  name  suit  his  actions  !  How  un- 
christian  was  his  diabolical  plot. 

On  the  8th  of  November,  1520,  a  general 
murder  of  all  the  nobility  in  Stockholm  took 
place.  After  a  mock  trial,  on  a  false  charge  of 
heresy,  the  King  commanded  his  victims  to  be 
marched  out,  guarded  by  soldiers,  and  seventy* 
of  them  were  executed.  That  none  might  es- 
cape, the  military  were  directed  to  search  the 
houses,  and  destroy  all  the  obnoxious  persons 
they  could  find.  In  the  provinces,  a  similar 
tragedy  was  acted.  Eric  Vasa,  the  father  of 
the  afterward  celebrated  Gustavus  Vasa,  a 
descendant  of  the  ancient  Kings  of  Denmark, 
was  the  first  who  lost  his  life.  His  son  Gus- 
*  Coxe  says,  six  hundred  in  all. 


244  GUSTAVUS    VASAj 

tavus  escaped ;  and,  an  immense  price  being 
offered  for  his  apprehension  or  murder,  he  took 
refuge  in  the  mines  of  Dalecarlia. 

Can  you  imagine  what  sort  of  a  place  a  mine 
is  ?  Dark,  damp,  hundreds  of  feet  under 
ground,  far  from  the  pure  air  and  cheerful  light 
of  heaven ;  inhabited  by  bands  of  poor  wretches, 
covered  with  dirt  and  rags,  pale  from  want  of 
fresh  air,  thin  from  want  of  proper  nourishment, 
toiling  all  day  for  an  humble  pittance.  Into 
such  a  place,  among  such  people,  dooming  him- 
self to  such  labor  and  such  privations,  Gustavus 
voluntarily  ventured :  but  he  so  humbled  and 
afflicted  himself,  only  to  save  himself  for  the 
rescue  of  his  forlorn  country. 

It  seems  impossible  that,  under  such  circum- 
stances, any  human  being  could  plan  or  execute 
any  glorious  project.  But  great  minds  are  in- 
vigorated by  difficulties,  and  best  show  their 
superiority  amidst  peril  and  vicissitude.  Many 
very  interesting  anecdotes  are  related  of  the 
adventures  of  Vasa,  of  his  danger,  and  of  his 
magnanimity.  He  gradually  infused  his  patri- 
otism into  the  bosoms  of  some  of  his  fellow- 
miners  and  of  the  neighboring  peasantry  :  and, 
throwing  off  his  squalid  garments  and  his  quiet 
deportment,  he  appeared  at  the  head  of  his 
countrymen,  their  general  and  their  monarch. 


KING   OF    SWEDEN.  245 

Christian,  though  married  to  the  sister  of  the 
powerful  Emperor  and  King,  Charles  V.,  found 
that  he  had  no  friends,  either  at  home  or  abroad, 
that  could  or  would  protect  him.  He  abdicated 
the  throne,  and  with  his  family  retired  to  the 
Netherlands.  Charles  V.  gave  him  some  as- 
sistance to  recover  his  throne ;  but,  failing  in 
this  attempt,  Christian  was  thrown  into  prison, 
and  died  after  many  years'  captivity.  It  is 
said,  that  his  sufferings  greatly  ameliorated  his 
character  ;  and  that,  in  place  of  his  early  fero- 
city, he  was,  in  his  latter  life,  mild,  patient,  and 
capable  of  affection. 

Frederick,  Duke  of  Holstein,  the  uncle  of 
Christian,  was  chosen  King  of  Denmark  and 
Norway;  and  those  two  kingdoms  remained 
united  under  one  monarch  till  1814 ;  Sweden 
was  the  prize  of  the  magnanimous  Gustavus 
Vasa,  who,  after  a  long  and  prosperous  reign, 
transmitted  his  crown  to  his  posterity,  who  con- 
tinued to  enjoy  it  till  1818. 

Truth  is  indispensable  to  the  humblest  writer 
of  history.  You  have  heard  of  Christian's  evil 
deeds ;  it  is  just  to  record  his  meritorious  ac- 
tions. He  enacted  many  useful  laws.  Once, 
when  dictating  a  regulation,  he  was  reminded 
that  its  enforcement  would  greatly  diminish  the 
royal  revenue ;  Christian  instantly  declared, 


246  GUSTAVUS    VASA. 

"  I  would  rather  lose  all  my  revenues,  than  ad- 
mit of  such  shameful  acts  of  injustice  on  those 
poor  people." 

I  dare  say,  we  should  often  meet  with  good 
actions,  mingled  with  the  bad,  of  those  persons 
condemned  in  history  as  worthless.  Therefore 
it  is  that  I  so  repeatedly  urge  you  to  be  candid 
in  your  opinions  of  those  who  cannot  vindicate 
themselves  :  therefore  it  is  that  I  would  have 
you  more  disposed  to  believe  the  virtue  than  the 
vice  recorded. 

A  modern  traveller  relates  a  very  curious 
anecdote  respecting  Gustavus  Vasa's  adven- 
tures, whilst  endeavoring  to  escape  from  the 
officers  sent  by  Christian  to  discover  and  seize 
him. 

Gustavus  had  taken  shelter  in  a  lonely  cot- 
tage, the  owner  of  which  hurried  away  to  pre- 
pare a  boat  to  expedite  his  flight,  and  left  him 
with  his  wife,  eating  a  hasty  meal.  Gustavus, 
placed  by  the  fire,  and  accompanied  only  by  the 
old  woman,  was  surprised  by  the  appearance  of 
some  military ;  he  thought  all  was  lost,  and 
looked  mournfully  on  his  hostess,  who,  however, 
bade  him  not  despair.  The  officer  and  his  troop 
now  entered  the  kitchen  ;  and  the  woman,  with 
admirable  presence  of  mind,  instantly  planned 
a  mode  of  saving  Gustavus.  How  valuable  is 


THE   JESUITS.  247 

presence  of  mind !  She  went  up  to  him,  and, 
giving  him  a  rude  blow,  ordered  him  as  if  he 
were  her  servant,  to  quit  the  kitchen,  and  not  stay 
lounging  and  eating  there  all  day.  Gustavus, 
profiting  by  her  ingenuity,  immediately  depart- 
ed ;  and  the  woman  bustled  to  entertain  her 
guests  with  food  and  liquor,  till  she  thought  her 
husband  had  insured  the  safety  of  Gustavus. 


CHAPTER  XLV. 

THE     JESUITS,    INSTITUTED     BY    IGNATIUS    LO- 
YOLA,   1535. 

THERE  was  an  officer  in  the  army  of  Ferdi- 
nand, King  of  Spain,  called  Ignatius  Loyola, 
who  was  dangerously  wounded  in  defending  the 
city  of  Pampeluna.  As  he  was  confined  to  his 
bed  and  his  chamber  for  a  long  time,  he  beguiled 
his  pain,  and  employed  his  solitude,  in  reading 
the  lives  of  the  saints.  Now  in  those  books 
much  fable  is  mixed  with  some  truth ;  and 
Loyola's  mind  was  so  inflamed  by  reading  of 
wonderful  exploits  and  miraculous  enterprises, 
that  he  fancied  himself  inspired  to  perform 
deeds  like  those  he  admired.  Accordingly  he 
avowed  himself  a  knight  of  the  blessed  Virgin, 


248  INSTITUTION 

and  undertook  a  pilgrimage  to  the  Holy  Land. 
He  visited  Spain  and  France ;  and,  after  per- 
forming various  strange  actions,  he  began  to 
conceive  the  idea  of  forming  a  new  religious 
order.  The  Pope,  Paul  III.,  gladly  sup- 
ported and  encouraged  the  establishment  of 
this  institution,  which,  under  the  name  of  the 
"  Society  of  Jesuits,"  or  the  "  Society  of  Jesus," 
soon  spread  its  members  all  over  Europe. 

The  Jesuits,  considering  themselves  as  the 
soldiers  of  the  Pope,  and  acknowledging  him  for 
their  head,  yet  possessed  peculiar  laws  and  ordi- 
nances of  their  own.  They  found  their  way  into 
all  the  courts  of  Europe,  and  thus  secretly  gov- 
erned the  governors  of  states.  They  rambled 
into  distant  countries,  and  were  seen  ruling  the 
rulers  of  China,  Hindoostan,  and  America. 

Their  secret  laws  were  most  extraordinary, 
and  some  of  them  most  iniquitous.  These  rules 
were  given  to  their  missionaries,  who  acted  upon 
them  Avherever  they  went.  Though  Charles  V. 
opposed  the  establishment  of  this  society,  and 
many  nations  resisted  its  advancement ;  yet,  so 
artful  and  so  persevering  were  its  members, 
that  it  gained  ground  rapidly.  Loyola  com- 
menced with  ten  disciples  ;  and,  in  little  more 
than  half  a  century,  more  than  ten  thousand 
persons  had  entered  into  the  society.  Any  one 


OF    THE    JESUITS.  249 

might  become  a  Jesuit ;  but,  once  professed,  he 
was  bound  to  yield  implicit  obedience  to  the  rules 
of  the  order,  and  the  commands  of  its  general. 
The  principal  aim  of  the  society  was  its  own 
aggrandisement,  its  own  increase  in  riches  and 
authority.  Thus,  a  Jesuit  would  ingratiate  him- 
self with  the  powerful  to  obtain  power,  with  the 
opulent  to  obtain  wealth.  The  ingenuity  with 
which  they  made  their  creed  consonant  to  all 
sorts  of  humors,  and  the  influence  they  attained 
over  every  variety  of  character,  it  is  impossible 
to  describe.  You  will,  on  some  future  day,  read 
of  the  art,  and  I  must  add,  the  wickedness  of 
the  doctrine  taught  and  advocated  by  these  in- 
sinuating logicians.  But  the  iniquity  of  their 
system  was  not  known  till  many  years  after  the 
abolition  of  the  society.  When  I  tell  you  that 
this  system  opposed  every  honored  principle  of 
truth  and  justice  for  its  own  aims,  made  the  worse 
appear  the  better  cause,  and  justified  every  de- 
gree of  criminality  in  the  rich  and  the  great,  you 
will  judge  how  sinful  and  shameful  it  must  have 
been.  Among  all  the  charges  brought  against 
the  Jesuits,  it  is,  however,  generally  acknow- 
ledged, that  they  conferred  benefits  on  the  rude 
natives  of  America,  by  teaching  them  many  use- 
ful arts :  to  build  houses,  till  the  ground,  and 
tame  wild  animals.  The  natives  of  Paraguay, 


250  CHARLES  V.    OF    SPAIN    A.ND 

especially,  found  in  them  benevolent  teachers 
and  lenient  rulers. 


CHAPTER  XLVI. 

CHARLES  V.  KING  OF  SPAIN  AND  EMPEROR. 
FRANCIS  I.  KING  OF  FRANCE. 

You  will  often  hear  of  the  Hans  Towns,  or 
Hanseatic  League  ;  I  think  it  necessary,  there- 
fore, to  inform  you,  that  a  number  of  towns  in 
Germany  and  the  north  of  Europe  associated 
for  the  protection  of  their  commerce.  In  1226 
(during  the  reign  of  Henry  III.  of  England), 
so  many  as  seventy-two  towns  had  united  to- 
gether, each  promising  to  protect  the  trade  of 
the  rest.  Lubeck  was  considered  as  the  head 
of  the  League.  This  association*  was  in  its 
highest  estimation  about  the  year  1500.  At 
that  period,  Maximilian,  Emperor  of  Germany, 
divided  Germany  into  ten  circles  (as  they 
are  called).  Look  into  a  map  and  you  will  bet- 
ter understand  what  I  mean. 

Maximilian  married  Mary,  the  only  child  of 
Charles,  Duke  of  Burgundy ;  and  their  son, 

*  The  Hanseatic  League  expired  in  J 806. 


FRANCIS    I.    OF    FRANCE.  251 

Philip  the  Handsome,  espoused  Joanna,  eldest 
daughter  of  Ferdinand  and  Isabella  of  Spain. 

Philip  and  Joanna  were  the  parents  of  Charles 
V.,  who  is  famous  in  history  as  King  of  Spain 
and  Emperor  of  Germany.  The  contemporary 
of  Charles  V.  (that  is,  a  person  who  lived  at  the 
same  time)  was  the  gallant  Francis  I.  King  of 
France,  who  held  the  splendid  meeting  near 
Calais  with  Henry,  VIII.,  as  I  have  already  re- 
lated. 

I  told  you  that  the  Emperors  of  Germany 
were  chosen  by  the  different  Electors,  or  princes, 
of  that  empire.  Francis  had  some  expectation 
of  being  elected  ;  and  on  the  choice  falling  up 
on  Charles,  King  of  Spain,  he  was  a  good  deal 
mortified.  From  this  and  other  causes,  these 
two  sovereigns  were  involved  in  war,  and  had  a 
desperate  battle  at  Pa  via,  in  which  Francis  was 
taken  prisoner.  After  the  engagement  he  wrote 
to  his  mother  Louisa,  whom  he  had  left  Regent 
(or  governess)  of  France  in  his  absence,  the  fol- 
lowing laconic  and  memorable  billet : — "  Madam, 
we  have  lost  everything  but  our  honor." 

Charles  is  represented  to  have  behaved  well 
to  his  royal  captive,  whom  he  liberated  on  cer- 
tain conditions.  When  Francis  was  delivered 
from  thraldom,  and  had  passed  the  boundaries 
which  divide  Soain  from  France,  he  sprang  joy- 


252  FRANCIS    I.    OF    FRANCE    AND 

fully  on  his  horse,  and,  waving  his  sword  over 
his  head,  exclaimed,  "  I  am  yet  a  King  !"  So 
precious  is  liberty  to  every  human  being — the 
peasant  and  the  prince.  We  are  always  free  : 
are  we  sufficiently  thankful  for  our  inestimable 
freedom  ?" 

It  happened,  some  time  afterward,  that 
Charles  passed  through  France,  not  without 
fears  that  his  rival  would  arrest  him,  according 
to  the  base  policy  of  some  rulers.  What  did  I 
tell  you  of  Richard  I.  of. England?  Francis, 
however,  scorned  to  take  advantage  of  his  ad- 
versary ;  he  received  him  in  Paris  with  every 
mark  of  distinction,  and,  for  the  six  days  dur- 
ing Avhich  his  visit  was  prolonged,  treated  him 
with  royal  magnificence. 

Charles  made  him  some  promises  at  the  time, 
which  he  had  not  the  honesty  to  fulfil,  and  af- 
terward had  the  baseness  to  deny.  In  those 
days,  there  was  generally  a  fool  kept  at  the 
houses  of  kings  and  great  men — a  sort  of  per- 
sonage, who,  under  the  excuse  of  silliness,  was 
allowed  to  say  and  do  what  he  pleased.  That 
some  of  these  fools  did  not  want  sense  and  wit 
is  proved  by  the  following  remark  on  the  above 
circumstance  by  a  fool  belonging  to  Francis. 
He  wrote  down  on  his  book,  "  Charles  is  a  great- 
er fool  than  I  am,  for  passing  through  the  terri- 


THE  EMPEROR    CHARLES  V.  253 

tories  of  his  rival,  Francis."  "  But  what  will 
you  say,"  observed  Francis,  "  if  I  let  him  pass 
in  safety  ?"  "  I  shall  say  you  are  the  greatest 
fool  of  all,"  replied  the  wag. 

The  "  History  of  Charles  V."*  is  the  most 
interesting  of  many  delightful  works,  which  you 
will  have  the  gratification  of  reading.  It  com- 
prises many  of  the  most  important  events  that 
occurred  in  Europe  during  that  period ;  is  full 
of  anecdotes  of  the  great,  and  the  good,  and  the 
faulty ;  and  is  written  in  a  most  instructive 
manner.  And,  I  dare  say,  if  you  read  it  once 
for  information,  you  will  read  it  twice  for  pleas- 
ure. I  will  not  presume  to  offer  any  abridgment 
of  what  is  so  excellent ;  every  line  omitted  would 
be  a  satisfaction  lost. 

Francis  died  in  the  same  year  that  Henry 
VIII.  expired,  1547.  Charles  lived  almost  ten 
years  longer ;  but,  what  was  very  strange,  he 
abdicated  his  throne,  and  gave  up  Spain  to  his 
son,  Philip  II. ;  and  Germany  to  his  brother 
Ferdinand.  On  his  abdication,  he  retired  to  a 
private  residence,  and  devoted  himself  to  reli- 
gious duties  ;  his  only  relaxation  being  experi- 
ments in  mechanism  and  some  other  of  the  arts. 

But  the  most  singular  of  his  whims  was  his 
having  his  funeral  ceremony  performed  whilst 
*  Of  course,  Robertson's  work  is  meant. 
V 


254  DEATH    OF    CHARLES    V. 

he  was  living.  The  coffin,  the  bearers,  the 
burial  service,  all  were  regularly  in  place  ;  but 
Charles  was  so  exhausted  by  the  efforts  he  made 
on  that  memorable  day,  that  he  sickened,  and 
died  soon  after,  a  victim  to  his  curiosity  and 
pride.  It  is  difficult  to  assign  any  adequate 
motive  to  this  preposterous  fancy.  It  could  be 
of  no  service  to  his  own  mind  ;  for,  if  that  mind 
were  not  before  awakened  to  the  uncertainty 
of  life  and  the  certainty  of  death,  it  was  almost 
too  late  to  arouse  it,  and  by  a  ceremony,  too, 
more  likely  to  alarm  than  amend.  Charles 
could  not  do  this  to  obtain  celebrity ;  his  re- 
nown, such  as  it  was,  had  before  been  estab- 
lished. 

Solyman  II.  the  Magnificent,  considered  as 
the  most  illustrious  of  the  Turkish  Emperors, 
was  a  powerful  adversary  of  Charles  V.  He 
obtained  possession  of  the  Island  of  Rhodes, 
and  drove  from  it  the  Knights  of  St.  John,  who 
retired  to  Malta,  an  island  given  to  them  by 
Charles. 

Solyman  carried  his  successful  arms  into 
Hungary ;  and,  entering  Austria,  besieged  Vi- 
enna ;  but  the  approach  of  Charles  obliged  him 
to  retreat.  It  is  of  this  Solyman  that  an  in- 
teresting anecdote  is  told.  Just  after  he  had 
taken  the  city  of  Belgrade,  a  woman  came  to 


EDWARD    VI.  255 

him,  bitterly  complaining  of  his  soldiers,  who 
had  taken  away  all  her  cattle,  her  only  property. 
"  You  must  have  slept  very  soundly  not  to  have 
heard  the  thieves,"  observed  the  Emperor. 
"  Yes,  Sire,"  replied  the  woman,  "  I  did  sleep  ; 
but  it  was  in  the  confidence  that  your  highness 
was  awake  to  the  public  service."  Solyman 
was  pleased  with  this  sensible  remark,  and  in- 
stantly repaired  the  loss  which  the  poor  woman 
had  sustained. 


CHAPTER  XLVH. 

EDWARD    VI.    KINO    OF    ENGLAND. 

EDWARD  VI.  was  only  nine  years  old  when 
his  father,  Henry  VIII.,  died  ;  and,  unhappily 
for  England,  he  himself  expired  at  the  early 
age  of  sixteen.  During  the  reign  of  Henry, 
lived  Pope  Leo  X.,  whose  pontificate  is  celebrat- 
ed as  the  era  in  which  the  arts  remarkably 
flourished. 

Many  admirable  painters  enriched  Italy ;  and 
oil-painting  was  invented  by  the  excellent  Flem- 
ish painters.  Sculpture  and  architecture  were 
also  carried  to  high  perfection  by  the  genius  of 
Michael  Angelo,  an  Italian,  of  whose  various 


256  DUKE    OP    SOMERSET. 

talents  you  will  often  hear.  Some  elegant 
writers  also  then  appeared  ;  so  that  the  age  of 
Leo  X.  is  always  mentioned  as  the  age  of  learn- 
ing and  learned  men,  and  of  the  elegant  arts 
and  the  most  admirable  artists. 

But,  to  return  to  England,  Edward  VI.  and 
his  protector,  the  Duke  of  Somerset,  were 
friendly  to  the  Protestant  religion,  and  con- 
siderably forwarded  its  fuller  establishment. 
Too  many  executions,  however,  tarnished  their 
administration  ;  and,  by  the  intrigues  of  a  party, 
the  Duke  of  Somerset  himself,  though  uncle  to 
the  King,  was  tried  and  condemned  to  be  be- 
headed. He  appeared  on  the  scaffold  with  a 
cool  and  unmoved  countenance,  and  his  speech 
to  the  populace  obtained  much  applause.  He 
wished,  however,  to  prevent  any  commotion,  and 
therefore  besought  the  crowd  not  to  interrupt 
his  last  prayers.  Having  given  some  minutes 
to  devotion,  he  laid  his  head  on  the  block,  and  it 
was  instantly  severed  from  his  body. 

You  wonder  how  Edward  could  sanction  this 
execution.  It  seems  that  the  enemies  of  the 
Duke  invented  and  told  falsehoods  of  him,  and 
thus  steeled  the  young  King's  bosom  against 
his  uncle.  How  seldom  do  princes  hear  the 
truth  !  How  rarely  do  they  possess  friends  ! 
Let  us  be  grateful  for  a  state  of  mediocrity,  and 


EDWARD    VI.  257 

that  we  live  in  an  age  and  a  country  which  afford 
us  the  best  chance  of  enjoying  the  blessings  of 
sincere  friendship,  and  forming  just  views  of 
characters  and  events. 

The  Duke  of  Northumberland,  the  stern  ene- 
my of  the  Duke  of  Somerset,  had  great  influ- 
ence over  the  mind  of  the  King,  whose  health 
now  began  rapidly  to  decline.  Northumberland 
devoted  himself  to  his  own  advancement ;  and, 
as  a  first  step  toward  augmented  dignity,  he 
married  his  son,  Lord  Guildford  Dudley,  to  Lady 
Jane  Grey.  Lady  Jane  was  the  daughter  of 
the  Duchess  of  Suffolk,  and  by  some  persons 
considered  as  heir  to  the  throne.  Edward,  at 
the  instigation  of  Northumberland,  avowed  her 
right,  and  declared  her  to  be  his  successor. 
Soon  after  this  declaration,  the  young  King's 
disorder  rapidly  increased  ;  and  he  expired  at 
Greenwich,  in  the  seventh  year  of  his  reign, 
unfeignedly  regretted  by  the  nation. 

Edward  was  a  prince  of  great  promise  :  he 
had  cultivated  his  understanding  with  the  ut- 
most diligence ;  he  spoke  many  languages,  and 
perfectly  understood  Greek  and  Latin.  In  short, 
he  was  extolled  as  a  prodigy  of  learning.  Lady 
Jane  Grey,  his  cousin,  was  equally  remarkable 
for  her  accomplishments,  and  so  well  versed  in 
Greek,  that  once,  when  Ascham,  the  tutor  of 
22 


258  COUNT    DE    MONTGOMERY. 

Elizabeth,  visited  her,  he  found  her  reading 
Plato.  When  he  expressed  his  surprise  at  her 
studious  hahits,  she  assured  him  that  her  books 
were  more  amusing  to  her  than  all  the  enter- 
tainments of  the  gay  world.  Her  being  a  Pro- 
testant was,  perhaps,  one  reason  why  Edward 
bequeathed  his  throne  to  her. 

Gabriel,  Count  De  Montgomery,  was  remark- 
able for  his  bravery  and  noble  actions,  but  still 
more  for  his  misfortune  in  putting  out  the  eye 
of  Henry  II.  King  of  France,  who  succeeded 
Francis  I.  in  the  same  year  that  Edward  VI. 
ascended  the  English  throne.  Henry,  having 
engaged  several  knights  in  a  tournament  (a 
warlike  sport,  performed  by  knights  in  ancient 
times  to  show  their  courage  and  dexterity),  on 
occasion  of  the  marriage  of  one  of  his  daughters, 
wished  to  try  his  skill  against  the  young  Mont- 
gomery, who  was  reckoned  one  of  the  strongest 
knights  in  France :  but  the  latter,  as  if  he  had 
foreseen  the  fatal  consequence,  repeatedly  de- 
clined the  combat,  and  only  consented  when  he 
found  the  King  was  likely  to  be  offended  at  his 
refusal.  In  the  course  of  the  struggle,  Mont- 
gomery's lance  broke  in  the  King's  visor  (or 
that  part  of  the  helmet  which  covers  the  face), 
and  wounded  him  in  the  eye.  Henry  died  from 
the  wound  on  the  eleventh  day  after  receiving 


COUNT    DE    MONTGOMERY.  259 

it,  and  gave  orders  on  his  death-bed  that  Mont- 
gomery should  not  be  tried  or  injured  on  account 
of  what  had  happened,  as  it  was  an  accident. 
After  this  unfortunate  event,  Montgomery  went 
for  some  time  to  his  estate  in  Normandy,  and 
then  visited  Italy  :  not  returning  to  France  till 
the  breaking  out  of  the  civil  wars  between  the 
Protestants  and  the  Roman  Catholics,  when  he  be- 
came one  of  the  brave  leaders  of  the  former  party. 
In  1562  he  defended  the  city  of  Rouen,  in  Nor- 
mandy, against  the  Catholics,  with  great  valor  and 
obstinacy.  The  city  being  at  last  taken,  he  threw 
himself  into  a  small  vessel,  and  made  his  escape 
to  Havre.  After  this,  he  passed  through  many 
dangers,  and  performed  many  exploits,  which 
gained  him  great  glory.  He  was  at  Paris  in 
1572,  when  the  Protestants  were  treacherously 
massacred,  by  order  of  Charles  IX.  (who  was 
then  King)  and  his  mother  Catherine  de  Medi- 
cis ;  and  he  was  only  informed  of  what  was 
taking  place  just  in  time  to  mount  his  horse, 
and  save  himself  by  galloping  off,  with  some 
Protestant  gentlemen,  who  lodged  near  him. 
They  were  pursued  ;  and  Montgomery  owed  his 
safety  to  the  swiftness  of  his  horse,  which,  it  is 
said,  carried  him  thirty  leagues  without  halting. 
Having  escaped  this  danger,  he  took  refuge, 
with  his  family,  first  in  Jersey,  and  afterward 


260  COUNT    DE    MONTGOMERY. 

in  England.  The  next  year  he  went  with  a  con- 
siderable fleet,  which  he  had  armed  and  fitted 
out  there,  to  the  relief  of  Rochelle,  which  was 
then  besieged  by  the  Catholics.  After  this  he 
returned  into  Normandy,  and  joined  the  Pro- 
testant nobility  of  that  province ;  but,  being 
driven  from  all  his  fortresses  in  those  parts,  he 
retired  to  a  rock,  called  the  Tombelaine.  At 
that  time  there  was  a  castle  on  it,  which  was 
afterward  demolished,  and  of  which  scarcely  any 
ruins  now  -remain.  From  this  fastness,  which 
could  only  be  got  at  when  it  was  low  water,  he 
continually  made  excursions,  and  annoyed  the 
enemy,  who  never  dared  to  attack  him ;  so  that 
he  became  the  dread  of  all  the  country  round. 
Wishing  to  surprise  the  neighboring  mount  of 
St.  Michael,  on  the  summit  of  which  was  an 
abbey,  about  the  same  size  with  that  on  the  Tom- 
belaine, he  found  means  to  engage  one  of  the 
monks  of  the  abbey,  who  promised  to  give  him 
the  signal  for  his  enterprise  by  displaying  a 
white  handkerchief.  But  the  monk  betrayed 
him ;  for,  before  he  made  the  signal,  he  had 
armed  all  his  companions,  who  waited  Montgom- 
ery's arrival.  The  chieftain  came,  attended  by 
fifty  chosen  soldiers,  desperate,  and  capable  of 
any  attempt.  They  crossed  the  sand,  and,  hav- 
ing placed  their  scaling  ladders,  mounted  one 


COUNT    DE    MONTGOMERY.  261 

by  one  :  but  as  they  came  to  the  top,  they  were 
murdered,  each  in  turn  without  any  noise. 
Montgomery,  who  followed  last,  discovered  the 
perfidy  just  in  time  to  escape  with  two  of  his 
men,  and  with  them  he  regained  the  Tombelaine. 
The  ladders  and  grappling-irons  used  on  this 
occasion  are  still  preserved  with  great  care. 
After  this,  he  distinguished  himself  on  many 
occasions.  In  1574,  Matignon,  the  Catholic 
general  in  Lower  Normandy,  to  whom  Catherine 
de  Medicis  had  given  a  particular  charge  to 
seize  Montgomery,  came  upon  him  unexpectedly 
in  Saint-Lo,  and  laid  siege  to  that  city.  On 
the  evening  of  the  fifth  day  he  left  Saint-Lo, 
with  about  seventy  horse,  and  escaped  amidst  a 
shower  of  musket-bullets,  without  losing  a  single 
man,  leaving  the  command  of  the  place  to  his 
friend  Coulombieres.  Arriving  at  Domfront 
with  only  twenty  followers,  he  was  joined  the 
same  day  by  several  gentlemen,  who  brought  a 
company  of  forty  horse  to  his  assistance.  In 
the  mean  time  Matignon,  informed  of  his  escape, 
and  enraged  at  having  lost  his  prey,  galloped  at 
the  head  of  a  party  of  horse,  and  arrived  before 
Domfront,  which  he  blockaded  on  all  sides,  till 
the  infantry  and  cannon,  which  were  following, 
should  come  up.  When  they  arrived,  he  at- 
tacked the  city  with  great  violence,  and  Mont- 


262  COULOMBIERES. 

gomery  was  soon  obliged  to  retire  into  the  castle 
with  the  garrison,  amounting  to  no  more  than 
150  men.  He  fought  with  the  greatest  bravery, 
and  exposed  himself  to  danger  like  one  who 
wished  to  die  ;  at  length,  perceiving  his  soldiers 
were  greatly  reduced  in  number,  he  surrendered, 
and  Matignon  conducted  him  to  Saint-Lo,  in 
hopes  that  he  might  be  able  to  persuade  Cou- 
lombieres  to  surrender.  For  this  purpose  Mont- 
gomery was  brought  near  the  wall,  and  he  en- 
treated Coulombieres,  who  appeared  on  the  top 
of  it,  to  follow  his  example  ;  but  the  brave  com- 
mander, full  of  indignation,  reproached  him 
severely  for  his  cowardice  in  surrendering,  in- 
stead of  dying  like  a  soldier,  with  his  sword  in 
his  hand.  The  intrepid  Coulombieres  was  killed, 
some  days  after,  in  defending  the  breach.  In 
the  mean  time  Catherine  de  Medicis,  regent  of 
the  kingdom,  her  son  Charles  being  dead,  ordered 
Matignon  to  send  Montgomery  to  Paris,  strong- 
ly guarded :  and  when  he  arrived,  he  was  con- 
fined in  a  tower,  which  is  still  called  by  his 
name.  He  was  afterward  brought  to  trial,  and 
condemned  to  die  ;  and  his  children  were  de- 
prived of  their  nobility.  After  undergoing  very 
severe  torture,  he  was  carried  to  the  Place  de 
Greve,  dressed  in  mourning,  and  there  beheaded 
on  the  26th  of  June,  1574.  He  appeared  on 


MARY    I. 


263 


the  scaffold  with  an  undaunted  countenance,  and 
made  a  long  speech  to  the  spectators.  When 
he  had  finished,  he  fell  on  his  knees  heside  the 
block,  bade  adieu  to  those  around  him,  desired 
the  executioner  not  to  cover  his  eyes,  and  sub- 
mitted to  his  fate  like  a  hero. 


CHAPTER  XLVIII. 

MARY    I.    QUEEN    OF    ENGLAND. 

WE  now  come  to  the  short  but  cruel  reign  of 
Mary.  You  remember,  I  suppose,  that  she 
was  the  eldest  daughter  of  Henry  VIII.  and 
Catherine  of  Arragon.  A  strong  party  soon 
placed  her  on  the  throne,  and  the  will  of  Edward 
was  set  aside.  Northumberland  hastened,  in- 
deed, to  offer  the  crown  to  Lady  Jane  Grey ; 
but  this  amiable  and  lovely  princess  refused  to 
accept  it,  and  burst  into  tears  when  earnestly 
entreated.  At  last,  she  yielded  to  the  wishes 
of  her  father,  and  consented  to  be  made  a 
Queen.  But  transitory  was  her  elevation ! 
The  friends  of  Mary  soon  became  most  power- 
ful, and,  her  claims  being  deemed  strongest,  she 
was  proclaimed  Queen  of  England. 

The  innocent  and  accomplished  Lady  Jane 


264  MARY    I. 

and  her  youthful  husband  were  sentenced  to  be 
beheaded.  This  virtuous  princess  heard  the 
sentence  without  emotion,  and  prepared  to  meet 
it  without  regret.  Lord  Dudley  was  first  exe- 
cuted, and  as  his  headless  body  was  taken  from 
the  scaffold,  it  was  met  by  his  heroic  wife.  She 
paused  for  a  moment  to  gaze  on  the  corpse,  and 
heaving  one  deep  and  heavy  sigh,  bade  the 
bearers  proceed.  When  she  had  reached  the 
scaffold,  she  spoke  to  the  crowd  ;  owned  herself 
guilty,  not  of  usurping  the  crown,  but  of  not 
more  firmly  refusing  it ;  and  mildly  hoped  her 
death  would  restore  tranquillity  to  the  state. 
She  meekly  laid  her  head  on  the  block,  and  one 
blow  terminated  her  sufferings  and  the  power  of 
her  enemies  over  her. 

Mary,  a  bitter  enemy  to  Protestantism,  mar- 
ried Philip  II.,  of  Spain,  the  son  of  Charles  V. ; 
as  determined  a  bigot  to  the  Roman  Catholic 
religion  as  ever  lived.  When  I  tell  you  that 
Philip  not  only  condemned  his  son  to  a  painful 
death,  but  actually  chose  to  be  a  spectator  of 
the  wretched  youth's  agonies,  you  will  know 
what  to  think  of  Philip.  That  Mary  passion- 
ately loved  this  cruel  monster  proves  her  heart 
to  have  been  as  hard  as  his. 

I  really  cannot  repeat  all  the  dreadful  butche- 
ries committed  in  England  by  this  merciless 


n:rr.  STOR 


| 


I.AUY    .JANE    (il'.KV. 


QUEEN    OF    ENGLAND.  265 

couple  ;  for  whatever  Philip  desired,  Mary  exe- 
cuted. Hundreds  of  people  were  burned  alive 
because  they  would  not  say  they  believed  every- 
thing that  Mary  chose  they  should  believe. 
Reflect  on  the  folly,  the  barbarity  of  this  pro- 
ceeding !  Who  can  make  himself  believe  just 
what  he  is  ordered  to  believe  ?  Merely  to  say 
he  does  so,  Avhen  in  his  heart  he  thinks  very 
differently,  is  pronouncing  an  absolute  falsehood. 
When  you  read  of  the  dreadful  agonies  willingly 
endured  to  avoid  this,  you  will  be  disposed  to 
respect  the  fortitude  of  the  human  mind  ;  you 
will  be  inclined  more  warmly  to  venerate  the 
religion  for  which  so  many  wise  and  virtuous 
persons  suffered.  Even  women  submitted,  with 
unshrinking  firmness,  to  be  bound  to  the  stake, 
and  consumed  by  slow  and  piercing  flames.  But 
my  heart  recoils  from  the  afflicting  image. 

Calais,  a  valuable  port  of  France,  which  for 
two  centuries  had  been  in  the  hands  of  the  Eng- 
lish, and  was  most  important  to  them,  was  taken 
by  the  French  :  a  loss  which  so  deeply  afflicted 
Mary,  that  she  often  declared  "  the  name  of 
Calais  would  be  found  written  on  her  heart 
when  she  died." 

Happily  for  England,  the  reign  of  this  unfeel- 
ing woman  was  short.  Her  husband's  want  of 
affection  for  her — (could  such  a  man  as  Philip 
w  23 


266 


ELIZABETH. 


love  anything,  or  anybody  ?)— the  vexation  of 
reflecting  that  her  sister  Elizabeth  would  gain 
the  crown  when  she  left  it ;  these  are  the  causes 
stated  as  producing  a  slow  fever,  which  soon  de- 
stroyed her. 

She  died  in  the  forty-third  year  of  her  life, 
and  sixth  of  her  reign. 


CHAPTER  XLIX. 

ELIZABETH,   QUEEN    OF  ENGLAND. 

THE  last  chapter  closed  with  the  death  of  the 
cruel  Mary  ;  the  present  opens  with  the  acces- 
sion of  Elizabeth,  daughter  of  the  unfortunate 
Anne  Boleyn.  «  . 

Elizabeth  had  lived  very  privately,  employing 
herself  in  improving  her  mind,  and  obtaining 
every  kind  of  knowledge  that  might  assist  her 
in  wisely  ruling  a  mighty  nation  :  she  assumed 
the  sceptre,  therefore,  well  prepared  for  the  ar- 
duous duties  of  government.  How  many  persons 
envy  the  honors  of  royalty,  forgetful  of  the 
numerous  and,  weighty  cares  that  attend  the 
regal  state  ! 

Elizabeth  resolved  never  to  marry,  although 
many  princes  sought  her  hand  ;  among  the  rest 


ELIZABETH.  267 

•were  Eric,  the  son  of  Gustavus  Vasa,  and  Philip 
of  Spain,  the  widower  of  her  sister  Mary. 

Philip  II.,  of  Spain,  had  heen  sovereign  of  the 
Netherlands,  hut  so  cruelly  had  he  abused  his 
rights  of  sovereignty,  that  the  people  revolted 
against  him,  and  proclaimed  the  Prince  of  Or- 
ange their  Stadtholder.  Philip  despatched  the 
Duke  of  Alva  to  quell  the  revolt ;  and  this 
nohleman,  as  barbarous  as  his  master,  caused 
the  execution  of  eighteen  thousand  persons  in 
the  course  of  five  years.  After  this  information, 
I  think  the  word  Alva  will  remain  in  your  mind 
associated  with  cruelty. 

In  spite  of  Philip's  severe  measures,  the 
Prince  of  Orange  liberated  his  country  from  the 
Spanish  yoke.  Seven  of  the  seventeen  pro- 
vinces of  the  Netherlands  (or  Low  Countries) 
declared  themselves  an  independent  Republic, 
like  the  Swiss  cantons,  and  assumed  the  name 
of  Holland,  or  the  Seven  United  Provinces,  in 
1579  ;  making  William  Prince  of  Orange  their 
Stadtholder,  or  chief  governor. 

Elizabeth  had  essentially  assisted  the  revolt- 
ers ;  therefore  Philip  determined  to  invade 
England.  For  this  purpose  he  armed  a  large 
force,  and  fitted  out  an  immense  fleet,  which 
was  called  the  "  Invincible  Armada  :"  a  pom- 
pous title,  but  one  it  little  deserved  ;  for  a  hea- 


268  THE    EARL    OF    ESSEX. 

vy  storm  of  wind  dispersed  this  wondrous  fleet, 
and  the  navy  of  England  completed  its  destruc- 
tion. Elizabeth  evinced  great  spirit  on  this 
occasion  ;  she  showed  herself  to  her  army  at 
Tilbury,  mounted  on  a  fine  horse  :  cheered  the 
spirits  of  her  subjects,  aroused  the  valor  of  her 
soldiers,  and  infused  courage  and  confidence  into 
all  who  saw  or  heard  her.  Thus  she  in  some 
degree  earned  the  victory  she  obtained. 

Another  remarkable  circumstance  in  Eliza- 
beth's reign,  was  her  beheading  a  Scottish 
Queen,  who  was  also  her  first  cousin.  I  need 
not  remind  you  that  this  unhappy  person  was 
Mary  Queen  of  Scots.  I  have  already  given 
an  outline  of  the  transaction  in  the  "  Stories 
from  English  History,"  and  some  day  you  may 
read  a  full  account  of  it  in  Goldsmith's  "  His- 
tory of  England." 

Elizabeth  had  more  than  one  favorite :  but 
the  most  distinguished  was  the  Earl  of  Essex. 
This  impetuous  young  nobleman  too  often  en- 
croached on  the  indulgence  of  his  royal  mis- 
tress ;  and  once,  particularly,  spoke  in  so  haugh- 
ty a  manner  that  the  Queen  gave  him  a  box  on 
the  ear.  Essex  put  his  hand  to  his  sword, 
muttering  some  threats  :  altogether,  his  conduct 
was  so  improper,  and  he  raised  such  commotions 


TRUE  STORIES. 


<JUEKX  ELIZABETH. 


Pairo  263. 


ELIZABETH.  269 

both  in  England  and  Ireland,  that  at  last  he 
was  tried  for  his  misdemeanors,  and  beheaded. 

You  remember  the  anecdote  of  the  Queen 
having  formerly  given  him  a  ring,  with  a  pro- 
mise that  when  he  presented  that  ring  to  her, 
she  would  grant  him  whatever  he  demanded. 
After  his  death  she  discovered  that  he  had  sent 
this  ring,  with  a  request  for  pardon ;  but  the 
lady  whom  he  entrusted  with  this  commission 
never  delivered  it.  Elizabeth,  when  she  heard 
of  this  treachery,  was  deeply  shocked ;  and,  it 
is  said,  she  began  to  droop  from  that  moment. 
She  told  the  perfidious  lady,  "  that  God  might 
forgive  her,  but  she  never  would  :"  a  sentiment 
little  honorable  to  her  Christian  principles. 

Elizabeth  having  named  for  her  successor 
James  King  of  Scotland,  son  of  that  Mary 
whom  she  had  put  to  death,  expired  in  the 
seventieth  year  of  her  age,  and  forty-fifth  of 
her  reign.  The  inimitable  bard,  William  Shak- 
speare,  lived  in  the  reign  of  Elizabeth,  and 
wrote  some  of  his  incomparable  plays  by  com- 
mand of  the  Queen. 

I  must  tell  you  that  the  English  East  India 
Company  was  first  established  in  the  reign  of 
Elizabeth.  This  is  a  company  of  merchants 
trading  to  India,  and  is  managed  by  its  own 
directors.  It  has  an  army  and  numerous  ships  : 


270  MASSACRE   OF 

and  the  principal  settlements  at  Bombay,  Ma- 
dras, and  Calcutta,  are  governed  by  its  servants. 
Its  present  rights  and  powers  are  very  different 
from  those  enjoyed  on  its  first  establishment ; 
but  though  I  may  not  enter  into  particulars,  I 
thought  you  would  be  glad  to  know  when  this 
Celebrated  company  was  originally  associated. 

Torquato  Tasso,  the  Italian  poet,  equally 
remarkable  for  his  genius  and  his  misfortunes, 
died  in  the  reign  of  Elizabeth. 


CHAPTER  L. 

MASSACRE     OF    ST.    BARTHOLOMEW. 

Do  you  recollect  the  "  Sicilian  Vespers  ?" 
and  that,  in  relating  that  dreadful  massacre,  I 
told  you,  you  would  hear  of  a  still  more  bloody 
tragedy,  acted  in  one  of  the  most  polished 
countries  of  Europe  ?  It  was  during  the  reign 
of  Elizabeth  that  this  sanguinary  transaction 
took  place.  And  where,  think  you  ?  Why,  in 
the  polite  kingdom  of  France.  When  learning 
French,  one  of  you  started  at  the  verb  hair, 
exclaiming,  "  Can  so  polite  a  people  as  the 
French  use  so  harsh  a  word  ?"  How  then  will 
you  be  shocked  at  what  I  am  going  to  tell  you ; 


ST.    BARTHOLOMEW.  271 

that  on  the  24th  of  August,  1572,  St.  Bartho- 
lomew's day,  25,000  Protestants  were  murdered 
in  France. 

Catherine  de  Medicis,  widow  of  Henry  II., 
governed  in  France  during  the  minority  of  her 
two  sons,  Francis  II.  and  Charles  IX.,  and 
she  exercised  her  power  with  unrelenting  se- 
verity against  the  Protestants,  whom  she  hated 
on  account  of  their  religion.  Francis  II.,  who 
was  only  sixteen  years  of  age,  was  married  to 
the  beautiful  but  unfortunate  Mary,  Queen  of 
Scots.  His  reign  was  very  short,  little  more 
than  sixteen  months  :  but  it  was  distinguished 
by  a  persecution  of  the  Protestants,  or  Hugue- 
nots, as  they  were  called  in  France,  promoted 
by  the  cruel  Catherine,  who  acted  as  Regent. 
So  cruelly  were  these  poor  people  oppressed, 
that,  for  their  own  protection,  they  were  obliged 
to  take  up  arms. 

Francis  died  at  the  age  of  eighteen,  and  was 
succeeded  by  his  brother  Charles  IX.,  who 
being  only  ten  years  of  age,  his  mother  Cathe- 
rine continued  to  be  Regent,  and  made  her  son 
as  cruel  and  deceitful  as  herself. 

Many  civil  wars  raged  in  France,  one  after 
another,  between  the  Protestants  and  the  Ca- 
tholics ;  peace  between  them  was  often  concluded, 
and  as  often  broken ;  but,  at  last,  in  1571,  a 


272  MASSACRE   OF 

treaty  was  signed,  upon  terms  very  favorable 
to  the  Protestants,  who  were  promised  freedom 
to  follow  their  own  religion.  After  this,  King 
Charles,  who  had  taken  the  charge  of  govern- 
ing upon  himself,  though  still  under  the  influ- 
ence of  his  wicked  mother,  caressed  the  Pro- 
testants in  an  extraordinary  degree.  He  in- 
vited to  his  court  the  admiral  Coligni,  who  was 
their  chief  leader ;  and  so  flattered  him,  that 
he  felt  himself  quite  safe,  notwithstanding 
many  warnings  were  given  him  by  his  friends, 
that  the  King's  fair  speeches  were  not  to  be 
trusted.  But  the  admiral  had  soon  reason  to 
repent  of  his  confidence ;  for  one  morning,  as 
he  was  returning  from  court  to  his  own  house, 
he  was  struck  by  a  shot  from  a  window,  which 
took  away  the  finger  of  one  hand,  and  Avounded 
him  in  the  opposite  arm.  In  the  afternoon  of 
the  same  day  the  King  paid  him  a  visit,  and 
pretended  to  be  much  grieved,  saying,  "You 
have  received  the  wound ;  but  it  is  I  who  suf- 
fer." This  conduct  satisfied  the  admiral  of 
Charles's  sincerity,  and  prevented  him  from 
complying  with  the  wishes  of  his  friends,  who 
wanted  to  remove  him  from  Paris.  Catherine 
had  long  determined  to  massacre  all  the  Pro- 
testants ;  and  she  held  a  consultation  the  same 
evening,  to  fix  when  this  dreadful  business 


ST.     BARTHOLOMEW.  273 

should  take  place.  The  direction  of  it  was 
given  to  the  Duke  of  Guise,  a  cruel  enemy  to 
the  Protestants,  and  it  was  determined  that  a 
bell  should  be  rung  near  the  Louvre,  at  mid- 
night, as  a  signal  for  the  soldiers  to  begin  the 
horrid  work,  by  the  King's  orders.  It  is  said, 
that,  as  the  hour  fixed  upon  approached, 
Charles  began  to  repent,  and  expressed  his 
horror  at  the  idea  of  shedding  so  much  inno- 
cent blood,  especially  as  the  people  he  was 
going  to  destroy  were  his  own  subjects,  and 
had  come  to  Paris  by  his  command,  trusting  to 
his  royal  word  ;  particularly  the  admiral,  whom 
he  had  deceived  by  his  pretended  kindness. 
Catherine,  however,  reproached  him  with  his 
cowardice,  and  he  at  last  gave  the  order  to 
begin.  When  the  signal-bell  rang,  the  Catho- 
lics, headed  by  the  Duke  of  Guise,  attacked 
the  admiral's  house,  and,  having  forced  open 
the  door,  some  of  the  murde/ers  rushed  into 
his  apartment.  One  of  them  asked  if  he  were 
Coligni  ?  to  which  he  answered  that  he  was ; 
adding,  "  Young  man,  respect  these  gray  hairs :" 
but  the  assassin  immediately  ran  him  through 
the  body  with  his  sword.  The  Duke  of  Guise 
and  another  nobleman,  who  were  waiting  below 
stairs,  becoming  impatient,  called  out  to  know 
if  the  business  were  done  ;  and,  being  told  that 


274  MASSACRE  OF 

it  was,  they  ordered  the  body  to  be  thrown  out 
of  the  window.  As  soon  as  it  fell  upon  the 
ground,  one  of  them,  after  wiping  the  blood 
off  the  face,  kicked  it  with  his  foot.  The  body 
was  then  abandoned  to  the  fury  of  the  mob, 
who  dragged  it  to  the  common  gibbet,  to  which 
they  chained  it  by  the  feet ;  the  head  having 
been  cut  off  and  carried  to  Catherine,  who  sent 
it  to  the  Pope,  at  Rome.  The  King  himself 
went  to  see  the  body  hanging,  when  a  fire  was 
kindled  under  it,  and  part  of  it  was  burned. 
In  the  palace  of  the  Louvre,  all  the  gentlemen 
belonging  to  the  King  of  Navarre  and  the 
Prince  of  Conde  (who  were  both  Protestants) 
were  murdered  in  the  presence  of  Charles ; 
two  of  them,  wounded  and  pursued  by  the  as- 
sassins, fled  into  the  bedchamber  of  the  Queen 
of  Navarre  (who  was  sister  to  Charles  and 
daughter  of  Catherine),  and  jumping  on  her 
bed,  besought  her  to  save  their  lives ;  and  as 
she  went  to  beg  this  favor  of  her  mother,  two 
more,  wounded  also,  rushed  into  the  room,  and 
threw  themselves  at  her  feet.  Catherine  came 
to  the  window  to  enjoy  these  dreadful  scenes  ; 
and  Charles,  seeing  the  Protestants  who  lived 
on  the  other  side  of  the  river  fleeing  for  their 
lives,  called  for  his  long  gun,  and  fired  upon 
them.  In  three  or  four  days,  upwards  of 


ST.  BARTHOLOMEW.  275 

twenty-five  thousand  Protestants  were  de- 
stroyed in  Paris  by  the  most  cruel  deaths. 
Peter  Ramus,  a  good  man,  professor  of  mathe- 
matics, after  being  robbed  of  all  he  had,  was 
stabbed  and  thrown  out  of  a  window,  which  so 
affected  Denis  Lambin,  the  King's  professor  in 
the  university  of  Paris,  that  he  died  of  terror, 
though  he  was  a  Catholic.  At  first,  the  King 
denied  that  this  had  been  done  by  his  order, 
and  threw  the  whole  blame  on  the  Duke  of 
Guise ;  but,  four  days  afterward,  he  openly 
avowed  it  in  parliament,  and  was  complimented 
upon  it.  Two  innocent  gentlemen  were  ex- 
ecuted by  torch-light,  on  pretence  of  their  be- 
ing concerned  with  the  admiral  in  a  plot  against 
the  King ;  and  Charles  and  his  mother  were 
spectators  of  this  horrible  execution,  and  they 
compelled  the  King  of  Navarre  and  the  Prince 
of  Conde  to  witness  it  also.  The  dreadful 
murder  of  the  Protestants,  which  was  called 
the  "  Massacre  of  St.  Bartholomew,"  because 
it  took  place  on  St.  Bartholomew's  day,  August 
24th,  1572,  was  not  confined  to  the  city  of 
Paris,  but  extended  all  over  the  kingdom;  so 
that,  in  a  very  short  time,  70,000  Protestants 
w'ere  butchered. 

After  this  horrid  work  was  over,  Charles  was 
filled  with  remorse  for  his  crimes,  and  was  never 


276  THE    DUKE    OF    GUISE. 

happy  again :  there  was  a  fierceness  in  his  looks, 
which  he  had  not  before,  and  his  mother  became 
hateful  to  him.  He  confessed  to  his  physician, 
that,  sleeping  or  waking,  the  murdered  Protes- 
tants were  ever  present  to  his  eyes,  and  that 
jie  wished  the  innocent  and  helpless  had  been 
spared.  He  continued  all  his  life  to  show  his  grief 
and  repentance  by  his  tears  and  agonies ;  and 
at  last  died  in  excruciating  torments  at  the  cas- 
tle of  Vincennes,  bathed  in  his  own  blood,  which 
came  through  his  skin.  His  death  took  place 
the  30th  of  May  1574,  when  he  was  only  twenty- 
four  years  of  age  ;  and  he  was  succeeded  by  his 
brother,  Henry  III. 

Having  introduced  to  your  notice  the  Duke 
of  Guise,  who  had  the  direction  of  the  massacre 
of  'St.  Bartholomew,  I  may  as  well  give  you 
some  farther  account  of  him,  as  he  makes  a 
considerable  figure  in  the  French  history  of 
these  times,  Henry,  Duke  of  Guise,  was  a  man 
of  extraordinary  courage  and  generosity,  and 
posessed  many  great  qualities  ;  but  they  were 
all  tarnished  by  his  pride,  ambition,  and  tyran- 
ny. He  was  married  to  a  Princess  of  Cleves,  a 
very  beautiful  woman,  but  too  fond  of  being  ad- 
mired. Catherine  de  Medicis,  in  the  reign' of 
her  youngest  son,  Henry  III.,  had  invited  the 
Duchess  of  Guise,  among  the  principal  ladies 


THE    DUKE    OF    GUISE.  277 

of  her  court,  to  a  ball  and  supper  :  but  the  Duke, 
for  some  particular  reason,  did  not  wish  her  to 
attend :  she,  however,  persisted  in  going,  con- 
trary to  his  desire,  and  the  ball  was  not  over 
till  six  o'clock  in  the  morning  :  at  that  very  late 
hour,  she  returned  home  and  went  to  bed ;  but  she 
had  scarcely  laid  herself  down,  when  she  saw  the 
door  open  very  slowly,  and  the  Duke  entered 
the  room,  followed  by  an  old  servant,  who  car- 
ried a  basin  of  broth  in  his  hand.  The  Duke 
immediately  locked  the  door  ;  and,  coming  to  the 
bed-side  in  a  very  deliberate  manner  he  said  to 
her,  in  a  firm  and  determined  tone  of  voice, 
"  Madam,  though  you  would  not  do  what  I  wished 
last  night,  yet  I  am  determined  that  you  shall 
obey  me  now.  Your  dancing  has  most  probably 
heated  you ;  a  little  broth  will  do  you  good  ;  and 
you  must  drink  this  immediately."  The  Duch- 
ess, suspecting  it  to  be  poison,  burst  into  tears, 
and  begged  the  Duke  would  let  her  send  for  a 
clergyman  before  she  drank  it.  He  told  her 
again,  that  he  insisted  on  her  taking  it  directly  ; 
and.  therefore,  finding  all  she  said  was  in  vain, 
she  swallowed  the  broth.  When  she  had  done 
this,  the  Duke  went  out  of  the  room,  locking 
the  door  after  him,  and  did  not  return  for  three 
or  four  hours,  when  he  paid  her  another  visit, 
and,  with  an  affected  smile,  he  said,  "  Madam,  I 
x 


278  HENRY    III.    AND 

am  afraid  you  have  passed  your  time  very  un- 
pleasantly since  I  left  you ;  and  I  fear  also  that 
I  have  been  the  cause  of  this  :  take  comfort, 
however,  for  you  have,  I  assure  you,  nothing  to 
fear ;  but  judge  from  this  of  the  time  you  made 
me  pass  as  unpleasantly,  whilst  you  were  at  the 
ball ;  and  in  future,  if  you  please,  we  will  avoid 
playing  tricks  upon  each  other."  The  ambition 
of  the  Duke  was  so  great,  that  he  wished  to  be 
King,  and  was  often  engaged  in  plots  against 
Henry.  At  last,  he  proceeded  to  such  extremi- 
ties, that  the  King  was  driven  from  Paris,  and 
began  to  be  so  much  afraid  of  the  Duke  that 
he  determined  to  have  him  assassinated.  Tjje 
Duke  was  informed  of  the  King's  intention  by 
a  note,  which  some  one  put  under  his  plate  at 
dinner :  he  read  the  note  with  great  coolness, 
wrote  under  it  with  his  pencil,  "  He  dare  not 
do  it ;"  and  finished  his  dinner.  The  next  morn- 
ing, December  23,  1588,  he  went  to  the  King, 
who  had  sent  for  him  on  pretence  of  having 
some  affairs  of  importance  to  communicate. 
Henry  had  chosen  nine  of  his  guards  for  the 
purpose  of  killing  the  Duke,  and  he  put  a  pon- 
iard into  each  of  their  hands,  telling  them  what 
they  were  to  do,  and  ordering  them  to  strike 
the  blow  quickly.  They  were  secretly  placed 
in  the  passage  which  led  to  the  King's  audi- 


THE    DUKE    OF    GUISE.  279 

ence-chamber ;  and  when  the  Duke  went  in,  six 
poniards  were  at  once  plunged  into  his  breast, 
so  that  his  death  was  instantaneous.  When 
this  horrid  deed  was  done,  Henry  went  to  his 
mother  and  said,  "  Now  I  am  a  King  again,  for 
the  Duke  of  Guise  is  dead  !"  Though  this  was 
a  very  wicked  act  of  the  King's,  yet  the  Duke's 
fate  has  scarcely  been  lamented ;  for  he  was  a 
rebel  to  his  sovereign,  and,  on  the  horrid  day  of 
the  massacre  of  St.  Bartholomew,  he  caused  the 
brave  Admiral  De  Coligni  to  be  murdered,  and 
even  trampled  on  his  dead  body,  when  thrown 
out  of  the  window  by  his  savage  orders.  The 
person  of  the  Duke  was  remarkably  handsome  ; 
and  the  King  could  not  help  exclaiming,  when 
he  saw  his  dead  body  lying  on  the  ground,  "  Oh, 
how  majestic,  even  in  death  !"  His  brother,  the 
Cardinal  of  Lorraine,  a  man  as  ambitious  and 
haughty  as  himself,  was  also  assassinated  a  few 
days  afterward  ;  and  in  1589,  King  Henry  met 
with  a  similar  fate,  which  he  as  well  deserved, 
for  he  was  a  wicked  tyrant,  hated  by  his  sub- 
jects, and  despised  by  all  the  world.  He  was 
in  the  thirty-ninth  year  of  his  age. 

But  I  turn  from  these  melancholy  and  dis- 
graceful transactions  to  the  military  exploits 
of  the  King  of  Portugal.  Don  Sebastian,  grand- 
son of  Catherine,  Princess  of  Austria,  and  sis- 


280  DON    SEBASTIAN, 

ter  to  the  Emperor  Charles  V.,  succeeded  his 
grandfather,  Don  John  III.  At  an  early  age 
he  turned  his  thoughts  to  an  invasion  of  Africa, 
as  if  willing  to  retaliate  on  the  Moors  for  their 
former  subjugation  of  his  country.  Morocco 
was  distracted  by  civil  war ;  a  propitious  time 
for  the  invasion  of  foreign  foes  :  for  when  a  peo- 
ple quarrel  among  themselves,  they  are  easily 
conquered  by  their  enemies.  Do  you  remember 
the  story  of  the  old  man  and  the  bundle  of 
sticks,  which  his  sons  in  vain  endeavored  to 
break,  while  bound  up  together ;  but  when  the 
uniting  band  was  removed,  the  youths  found  it 
perfectly  easy  to  break  each  separate  stick? 
The  moral  of  this  fable  is  truly  admirable ;  a 
united  nation  or  a  united  family  need  not  fear 
foreign  enemies  ;  for,  so  connected,  they  are  in- 
vulnerable. But  let  the  nation,  or  the  family, 
quarrel  among  themselves,  and  the  first  artful 
foe  that  chooses  it  may  interfere,  and  gain 
every  advantage.  Do  you  understand  this 
moral  ?  Will  you  try  to  remember  it  ? 

Muley  Moluc,  a  great  captain,  was  at  war 
with  his  nephew,  Muley  Mahomet;  and  Don 
Sebastian,  taking  the  part  of  Mahomet,  hastened 
into  Africa  to  assist  him. 

On  the  fourth  of  August,  1578,  a  tremendous 
engagement  took  place.  Moluc  was  at  the  time 


KING    OF    PORTUGAL.  281 

seriously  ill ;  but,  his  mind  remaining  firm  and 
vigorous,  though  his  body  was  enfeebled,  he  gave 
his  orders  with  skill  and  resolution  :  and,  being 

7  /  O 

carried  amidst  his  troops,  he  harangued  them 
with  energy.  He  then  caused  himself  to  be 
placed  in  a  litter,  commanding  his  officers  not 
to  divulge  his  death,  should  it  occur  during  the 
battle,  lest  the  news  might  appal  his  army.  In 
the  midst  of  the  engagement,  seeing  his  troops 
give  way,  he  sprang  out  of  the  litter,  and  draw- 
ing his  sabre,  strove  to  rally  them.  But  his 
body  sank  beneath  the  effort,  he  fainted  in  the 
arms  of  his  pages,  and  they  replaced  him  in  his 
litter  ;  when,  feeling  himself  expiring,  his  mind 
gave  a  last  sign  of  its  undecayed  faculties  ;  he 
put  his  finger  on  his  lips,  as  if  reminding  his 
officers  of  his  command,  and  instantly  expired. 

His  death  remained  unknown  to  both  parties  ; 
and  his  soldiers  returned  to  the  charge  with 
such  fury,  that  the  Portuguese  troops  were 
routed.  Don  Sebastian  was  killed  in  the  indis- 
criminate carnage  ;  and  Mahomet,  attempting  to 
escape,  was  drowned  in  crossing  a  river ;  thus 
three  monarchs  perished  in  one  day.  Philip 
II.,  King  of  Spain,  seized  on  the  crown  of  Por- 
tugal. 

Just  about  this  period,  the  favorite  monarch 
of  the  Persians,  Shah  Abbas  the  Great,  ruled 
24 


282  SHAH    ABBAS. 

Persia.  He  fought  successfully  against  the 
Turks,  and  drove  the  Portuguese  from  their 
settlement  in  Persia.  He  was  grandson  of  that 
Ismael  Sophi,  who  had  introduced  a  new  form 
of  religion  into  that  country,  which,  though  in 
most  respects  like  the  Mohammedan,  makes  Ali 
the  successor  of  the  false  prophet,  instead  of 
Omar.  You  will  often  hear  of  Hafiz,  the  charm- 
ing Persian  poet :  some  very  exquisite  verses 
of  his  have  been  translated  into  English  ;  and, 
as  they  are  well  worth  the  trouble,  more  will 
doubtless  be  hereafter  translated. 

We  will  now  descend  from  Kings  and  Sultans 
to  the  privacy  of  humble  life  :  for  I  wish  to  tell 
you  of  a  Scottish  scholar,  named  James  Crich- 
ton.  This  man  was  so  remarkable  for  his  mental 
and  bodily  endowments,  that  he  was  universally 
entitled  the  Admirable  Crichton.  He  received 
a  common  education,  such  as  most  boys  receive  | 
but  so  brilliant  were  his  talents,  and  so  great 
his  application,  that  at  twenty  he  was  master  of 
all  the  learning  of  the  times,  could  speak  ten 
languages,  and  was  perfectly  versed  in  all  the 
lighter  accomplishments  of  fencing,  dancing, 
music,  &c. 

He  travelled  into  different  countries ;  and 
wherever  he  approached,  he  surpassed  the  most 
skilful  proficients  in  every  art  or  science. 


THE    ADMIRABLE    CRICHTON.  283 

There  was  a  celebrated  fencer  in  Mantua,  who 
offered  to  fight  a  combat  with  Crichton  for  a 
sum  of  money ;  this  fencer  had  already  killed 
three  expert  champions,  who  had  accepted  his 
challenge.  Crichton  readily  agreed  to  meet  him, 
and  soon  disarmed  and  wounded  the  haughty 
boaster  ;  he  then  generously  gave  the  money  he 
had  thus  acquired  to  the  widows  of  the  three 
persons  who  had  been  killed. 

The  Duke  of  Mantua,  charmed  with  the 
prowess  and  liberality  of  Crichton,  immediately 
engaged  him  to  be  the  tutor  of  his  son  Yincen- 
tio.  In  Italy,  once  a  year,  there  is  a  sort  of 
jubilee,  called  the  Carnival,*  when  masquerades 
and  all  sorts  of  public  amusements  engage  all 
ranks  of  people.  Crichton,  in  this  gay  season, 
was  walking  in  the  streets  of  Mantua,  playing 
on  his  guitar,  when  several  persons,  disguised 
in  masks,  attacked  him.  These  he  soon  re- 
pelled, and  disarmed  their  leader  ;  who,  pulling 
off  his  mask,  pleaded  for  his  life.  It  was 
Vincentio.  Crichton,  apologizing  for  his  mis- 
take with  more  gallantry  than  propriety,  fell  on 
his  knees,  and,  giving  his  sword  to  the  Prince, 
bade  him  take  his  life,  if  he  pleased.  The  base 
Vincentio,  actuated  by  mean  and  paltry  passions, 
profited  by  his  tutor's  generosity,  and,  seizing 
*  It  takes  place  just  before  Lent. 


284  JAMES  I. 

the  offered  sabre,  stabbed  Crichton  to  the  heart ! 
1581. 

How  undeserved  a  fate  for  the  Admirable 
Crichton  !  Yet,  I  hope,  you  all  feel  that  you 
would  rather,  so  excelling,  have  so  died,  than, 
like  the  cowardly  Vincentio,  have  purchased 
eternal  dishonor  by  the  indulgence  of  the  basest 
of  passions. 


CHAPTER  LI. 

JAMES  I.  KINO  OF  GREAT  BRITAIN. 

THE  son  of  Mary  Stuart,  James  (the  first  of 
his  name  that  was  King  of  England,  but  the 
sixth  of  that  name  who  was  King  of  Scotland), 
by  his  accession  to  the  English  throne,  united 
the  crowns  of  England  and  Scotland.  Did  I 
not  bid  you  remember  that  Margaret,  the  sister 
of  Edgar  Atheling  (called  for  her  piety  St. 
Margaret),  married  Malcolm  III.,  King  of  Scot- 
land, son  of  the  murdered  Duncan  ?  James  V. 
was  descended  from  this  Margaret,  and  by  es- 
pousing the  sister  of  Henry  VIII.,  their  child 
Mary  was,  on  her  father's  as  well  as  her  mo- 
ther's side,  lineally  descended  from  the  royal 
houses  of  England.  James,  the  son  of  this  Mary, 


KING    OF    GREAT    BRITAIN.  285 

was  therefore,  on  the  death  of  Elizabeth,  doubly 
heir  to  her  vacant  throne. 

He  had  not  long  been  King,  when  a  dark  plot 
was  laid  for  his  destruction,  and  that  of  his 
family  and  adherents.  You  have  heard  of  the 
popular  ceremonies  that  mark  the  fifth  of  Novem- 
ber ;  and  you  probably  know  the  origin  of  the 
custom  then  observed.  Guy  Fawkes  (or  Vaux), 
assisted  by  his  partisans,  hired  a  cellar  under 
the  Parliament-house.  This  cellar  they  filled 
with  barrels  of  gunpowder,  artfully  covered  with 
coals  and  faggots  of  wood.  You  know  that  gun- 
powder explodes  (that  is,  blows  up)  when  touched 
with  fire.  The  plan  was,  to  blow  up  the  Parlia- 
ment-house when  the  King,  the  princes,  and  no- 
bles were  in  it.  A  gentleman,  desirous  to  save  a 
nobleman,  his  particular  friend,  sent  him  a  mys- 
terious note,  to  warn  him  not  to  go  to  the  Par- 
liament-house on  the  fifth  of  November,  the  day 
fixed  upon  for  carrying  into  execution  this  hor- 
rid plot.  The  nobleman  showed  this  strange 
note  to  the  King  and  his  council.  It  is  said 
that  James  discovered  its  meaning,  and  ordered 
a  careful  search  to  be  made  in  the  cellars  under 
the  Parliament-house.  There  Guy  Vaux  was 
discovered  with  a  dark  lantern  in  his  hand, 
preparing  everything  for  executing  the  plot,  as 
he  was  to  set  fire  to  the  gunpowder.  Of  course, 


286  JAMES  L, 

you  will  suppose  the  conspirators  were  put  to 
death  ;  and  after  what  I  have  told  you  of  the 
intermeddling  Jesuits,  you  will  not  be  surprised 
to  hear,  that  two  of  that  society  were  engaged 
in  this  cruel  project. 

James  had  shown  much  penetration  in  explain- 
ing the  enigmatical  note  ;  and  his  moderation 
in  punishing  the  offenders  was  equally  honorable 
to  him  :  those  only  suffered  who  were  conspicu- 
ously criminal.  But  he  is  reproached  with  the 
weakness  of  devoting  himself,  like  Edward  II., 
to  silly  favorites.  The  most  remarkable  of  these 
was  George  Villiers,  afterward  made  Duke  of 
Buckingham.  This  Villiers  accompanied  the 
King's  eldest  son,  Charles,  in  his  travels  abroad  : 
Charles  disguised  as  a  knight-errant,  and  hiding 
his  real  rank ;  Villiers  attending  him  dressed 
as  his  squire.  They  called  themselves  Jack  and 
Tom  Smith  ;  and,  going  to  a  ball  at  Paris,  the 
Prince  of  Wales  fell  in  love  with  Henrietta, 
daughter  of  Henry  IV.  the  Great,  King  of 
France.  This  Princess  he  afterward  married. 
Charles  had  visited  the  continent  to  behold 
the  daughter  of  the  Spanish  monarch,  but  he 
lost  his  heart  before  he  reached  Spain. 

The  order  of  Knights  Baronets,  which  gives 
the  privilege  of  prefixing  Sir  to  the  Christian 
name,  was  instituted  by  James,  1611.  It  is  re- 


INSTITUTION    OF    KNIGHTHOOD.  287 

lated,  that  lie  was  advised  to  this  measure  as  a 
means  of  supplying  himself  with  money,  by  the 
sale  of  these  patents  of  honor.  A  thousand 
pounds  was  the  price  of  this  new  dignity,  and 
Sir  Nicholas  Bacon  was  the  first  who  obtained 
it.  In  1623,  to  reward  those  adventurers  who 
went  over  to  settle  in  the  province  of  Nova 
Scotia,*  in  America,  James  planned  (what  his 
son  afterward  executed)  the  institution  of  Baro- 
nets of  Nova  Scotia. 

The  execution  of  the  learned  and  enterpris- 
ing Sir  Walter  Raleigh  casts  a  deep  gloom  on 
the  reputation  of  James.  Raleigh  had  been  ac- 
cused of  a  conspiracy,  but  the  charge  was  never 
proved ;  yet,  after  the  lapse  of  many  years,  after 
Raleigh  had  sailed  to  America  with  the  King's 
permission,  he  was  doomed  to  the  block  by 
James,  on  former  unproved  and  obsolete  charges 
— a  lamentable  instance  of  injustice  ! 

I  record  with  regret,  that  the  celebrated  Ba- 
con (Lord  Verulam),  rich,  powerful,  and  learned, 
was  convicted  of»  receiving  bribes ;  and,  con- 
fessing his  guilt,  was  degraded  from  his  office 
of  chancellor,  and  heavily  fined. 

James  died  of  an  ague,  in  the  fifty-ninth  year 
of  his  age.  In  his  reign  died  many  famous 

*  The  Scots  who  settled  in  America  called  their  new  re- 
sidence "Nova  Scotia,"  New  Scotland. 


288  JAMES    I. 

men — Shakspeare,  the  immortal  bard ;  Napier, 
the  inventor  of  logarithms ;  Cervantes,  the  author 
of  Don  Quixotte  ;  Camden,  the  historian. 

The  Jesuits  were  expelled  from  England  in 
1605,  after  the  discovery  of  the  Gunpowder  Plot, 
in  which  it  was  supposed  that  they  were,  as 
usual,  mischievously  active.  Their  expulsion 
from  the  other  states  of  Europe  took  place  at 
different  times.  They  were  expelled  from  Por- 
tugal, in  1T59 ;  France,  in  1762 ;  Spain,  in 
1767  ;  and,  finally,  in  1773,  the  society  was  sup- 
pressed by  an  edict  .of  Pope  Clement  XIV. 
This  Pope  was  the  celebrated  Ganganelli,  who, 
it  is  supposed,  was  poisoned  by  a  Jesuit,  in  re- 
venge for  his  bull  of  suppression.  He  died  in  a 
very  lingering  manner  ;  and,  as  if  conscious  that 
he  had  swallowed  some  slow-consuming  poison, 
he  said,  "  I  am  going  to  eternity,  and  I  know 
for  what." 

It  is  lamentable  to  record  that,  in  1814,  Pope 
Pius  VII.  restored  this  society,  and  gave  it 
every  encouragement,  unwarned  by  the  serious 
charges  brought  forward  against  numerous  mem- 
bers of  this  intriguing  and  artful  sect. 


HENRY    IV.    THE    GREAT.  289 


CHAPTER  LIL 

HENRY     IV.,     SURNAMED     THE      GREAT,      KING     OF 
FRANCE. 

I  MUST  give  a  whole  chapter  to  my  favorite 
monarch,  who  was  justly  styled  "The  Great," 
because  the  happiness  and  prosperity  of  his 
people  were  the  first  wish  of  his  heart.  Henry 
was  the  son  of  Antony,  Duke  of  Bourbon,  and 
Jane,  Queen  of  Navarre.  As  Henry  III.*  of 
Valois  died  without  children,  Henry  of  Bourbon 
became  heir  to  the  throne  of  France,  and  the 
Bourbons  have  ever  since  given  Kings  to  that 
country. 

Henry  was  brought  up  by  his  grandfather, 
who  early  inured  him  to  bear  every  variety  of 
climate :  to  be  active,  abstemious,  and  hardy. 
His  dress  was  the  same  as  that  worn  by 
peasant-boys :  his  food  brown  bread,  beef,  and 
cheese.  He  ran  about  in  the  valleys  and  on  the 
hills,  in  all  seasons  and  all  sorts  of  weather, 
very  often  without  hat  or  shoes.  His  mind  was 
improved  with  studious  care  by  his  mother,  and 
he  was  fond  of  reading. 

A  League  (that  is,  a  united  party)  had  been 

*  Henry  III.  was  the  younger  brother  of  that  Charles  IX. 
who  directed  the  Massacre  of  St.  Bartholomew. 

Y  25 


290  HENRY    IV.    THE    GREAT, 

formed  to  support  the  Roman  Catholic  and  sup- 
press the  Protestant  religion.  Now  Henry  had 
been  reared  by  his  mother  to  be  a  Protestant ; 
but  he  afterward  became  a  Catholic,  that  he 
might  conform  to  the  religion  of  France. 

As  his  accession  was  opposed  by  a  considera- 
ble party,  headed  by  the  members  of  the  League, 
a  civil  war  ensued.  Henry  was  compelled  to 
fight  many  battles  for  his  crown ;  and  among 
the  most  remarkable  was  that  of  Ivri,  which  was 
particularly  memorable  for  his  heroic  address  to 
his  soldiers,  and  his  pious  recommendation  of 
himself  to  Almighty  God,  before  the  commence- 
ment of  the  battle.  This  excellent  monarch 
made  the  following  humble  prayer  to  the  great 
Disposer  of  all  events  just  before  the  action  be- 
gan :  "  If  it  should  please  Thee,  my  God,  not  to 
bestow  the  crown  upon  me,  or  if  Thou  seest  that 
I  am  likely  to  be  one  of  those  Kings  whom  Thou 
givest  to  mankind  in  Thy  wrath,  take  away  my 
life  as  well  as  the  crown  !  Grant  me  this  day 
to  be  the  victim  of  Thy  wise  will  ?  Grant  that 
my  death  may  deliver  France  from  the  calami- 
ties of  war,  and  that  my  blood  may  be  the  last 
that  shall  be  shed  in  this  dispute  !"  Immedi- 
ately before  he  attacked  the  enemy,  he  said  to 
the  soldiers  :  "  My  comrades,  if  you  follow  my 
fortune,  remember,  I  also  follow  yours ;  I  am 


KING   OF    FRANCE.  291 

determined  either  to  conquer  or  to  die  with  you. 
Keep  your  ranks,  I  beseech  you ;  but  if  the 
violence  of  the  battle  should  make  you  quit 
them,  endeavor  to  rally  again,  for  that  will 
insure  victory."  Then,  taking  off  his  helmet, 
which  was  ornamented  with  a  plume  of  white 
feathers,  he  said ;  "  You  will  rally  under  those 
three  trees  on  yonder  eminence  ;  and  though  you 
lose  your  standards,  do  not  lose  sight  of  this 
white  plume  ;  you  will  ever  find  it  in  the  road  to 
honor."  The  day  before  this  great  battle,  the 
German  troops  in  Henry's  army,  under  the  com- 
mand of  Count  Schomberg,  refused  to  fight,  un- 
less they  were  paid  the  money  due  to  them. 
With  this  message  Schomberg  went  to  the  King, 
who  said  to  him  angrily :  "  Does  it  become  a 
man  of  honor  to  demand  money,  when  he  should 
be  taking  his  orders  for  fighting  ?"  The  next 
morning,  Henry,  recollecting  what  he  had  said 
to  Schomberg,  went  into  his  tent,  before  the  en- 
gagement began,  and  said  to  him :  "  Colonel, 
this  is,  perhaps,  the  only  opportunity  I  may 
have — I  may  be  killed  in  the  battle ;  it  is  not 
right  that  I  should  carry  away  with  me  the 
honor  of  a  brave  gentleman  like  you — I  de- 
clare then,  that  you  are  a  man  of  worth,  and  in- 
capable of  doing  anything  cowardly."  Schom- 
berg, struck  with  admiration  and  gratitude  at 


292  HENRY    IV.    THE    GREAT, 

this  noble  behavior,  replied  :  "  Ah,  sire  !  in  re- 
storing to  me  that  honor  which  you  took  away 
from  me,  you  take  away  my  life  ;  for  I  should  be 
unworthy  of  it,  if  I  did  not  devote  it  to  your  ser- 
vice ; — if  I  had  a  thousand  lives,  I  would  lay 
them  all  at  your  feet."  This  brave  man  was 
killed  fighting  by  the  side  of  the  King;  and 
Henry  himself  was  thought,  for  a  short  time,  to 
have  been  slain  also  ;  but  he  reappeared,  covered 
with  the  blood  of  his  enemies,  who  were  slaugh- 
tered on  all  sides. 

When  he  beheld  the  dreadful  carnage  that 
ensued  by  the  success  of  his  soldiers,  he  anx- 
iously called  out,  "  Spare  my  French  subjects!" 
— thus  humanely  feeling  for  those  troops  that 
were  actually  fighting  against  him. 

When  he  besieged  Paris,  and  heard  that  a 
general  scarcity  of  food  existed  in  that  rebellious 
city,  he  allowed  provisions  to  be  carried  into  it ; 
observing,  that  "  he  would  not  desire  to  possess 
Paris  by  the  destruction  of  its  inhabitants." 

When  he  afterward  heard  that  fresh  forces 
had  been  collected  against  him,  he  calmly  said : 
"Well,  the  more  enemies  we  have,  the  more 
bravely  and  cautiously  we  must  fight,  and  the 
more  glory  will  attend  victory." 

At  length,  after  a  succession  of  dangers,  suf- 
ferings, and  hardships  of  all  kinds,  and  gaining 


KING    OF    FRANCE.  293 

many  hard-fought  battles,  Henry  was  acknow- 
ledged King  by  the  whole  nation ;  and  he 
proved  himself  worthy  of  the  throne  by  his 
great  qualities,  and  his  anxious  desire  for  the 
happiness  of  his  subjects. 

The  Marquis  De  Rosny,  afterward  created 
Duke  of  Sully,  was  the  general,  the  statesman, 
and,  best  of  all,  the  friend,  of  Henry.  His  wis- 
dom, his  virtue,  his  attachment,  greatly  assisted 
to  render  glorious  the  reign  of  his  royal  master. 
When  Henry  was  about  to  marry  very  foolishly, 
and  showed  Sully  a  paper,  in  which  he  had 
given  the  promise  of  this  silly  marriage,  Sully 
very  calmly  tore  the  paper  to  pieces.  "  I  be- 
lieve you  are  become  a  fool !"  said  the  King. 
"  I  know  it,"  replied  the  undaunted  minister  ; 
"  and  I  wish  I  were  the  only  fool  in  France." 
He  afterward  persuaded  Henry  to  espouse  a 
lady  more  worthy  of  his  rank,  Mary  de  Medicis, 
niece  to  the  Grand  Duke  of  Tuscany. 

But  I  really  cannot  pretend  to  tell  you  one 
quarter  of  the  entertaining  anecdotes  of  this 
great  King.  For  this  I  am  not  very  sorry,  be- 
cause you  will  have  the  high  treat  of  reading 
them  altogether  in  that  charming  work,  "  Sul- 
ly's  Memoirs." 

Sully,  being  constantly  about  the  King,  knew 
him  well,  and  the  events  of  his  life.  After 


294  HENRY    IV.    THE    GREAT. 

Henry's  death,  he  wrote  and  published  his 
"  Memoirs,"  which,  of  course,  may  be  depended 
upon  as  giving  an  exact  and  faithful  account  of 
the  life  and  manners  of  this  illustrious  mon- 
arch. You  will  there  behold  many  fine  quali- 
ties, tarnished  only  by  a  few  blemishes  ;  many 
noble  actions,  blended  with  some  silly  frolics. 
In  short,  you  will  see  Henry,  as  he  was,  in  the 
field,  in  the  cabinet,  and  in  domestic  life. 

Sully  himself  is  there  depicted ;  and  you  will 
watch  with  delight  the  traits  of  his  singular 
character.  Firm  in  duty — ingenious  in  expe- 
dients— indefatigable  in  business  ;  tenderly  lov- 
ing Henry,  and  honestly  telling  him  of  his 
faults  ;  wise,  brave,  persevering ;  Sully  as  well 
earned  the  title  of  "  Great"  as  did  his  sov- 
ereign. 

I  feel  inclined  to  put  off  the  pain  of  detailing 
the  death  of  Henry.  Alas  !  he  was  cut  off  in 
the  prime  of  his  days,  in  the  midst  of  his  vir- 
tuous labors,  by  the  hand  of  an  assassin. 

Francis  Ravaillac,  a  mad  enthusiast,  stabbed 
the  King  in  his  coach.  Henry,  exclaiming,  "  I 
am  wounded,"  with  one  heavy  sigh  expired, 
May  14th,  1610.  He  had  reigned  twenty  years, 
and  was  aged  fifty-eight. 

.   Sully  withdrew  from   court,   and  spent  his 
days  in  retirement,  employing  himself  in  com- 


CHARLES    I.  295 

piling  his  "  Memoirs."  When  he  once  attended 
the  court  of  Louis  XIII.  (son  of  Henry),  he  ob- 
served the  courtiers  ridiculing  his  dress  and 
manners .  He  sternly  remarked  to  Louis, ' '  When 
your  father,  the  late  King,  did  me  the  honor  to 
consult  me,  he  always  previously  dismissed  all 
fops  and  buffoons  :"  a  severe  but  just  censure 
on  the  coxcombs  who  ridiculed  him. 


CHAPTER  LIIL 

CHARLES  I.  KING  OF  ENGLAND. 

I  AM  mistaken  if  you  will  not  be  deeply  af- 
fected by  the  fate  of  Charles  I.  the  son  of 
James  I.  I  have  told  you,  that,  when  Prince 
of  Wales,  he  travelled  abroad  in  disguise,  and 
afterward  married  Henrietta,  daughter  of  the 
great  Henry,  of  whom  you  have  just  heard  a 
few  anecdotes. 

The  errors  and  mistakes  by  which  King 
Charles  lost  the  affection  of  many  of  his  subjects ; 
the  turbulent  temper  of  the  nation  at  that  par- 
ticular period,  which  no  conduct  would  probably 
have  subdued  :  of  all  these  particulars,  I  cannot 
speak ;  nor,  if  I  could,  would  you  be  able  to 
judge.  Certain  it  is,  that  sad  commotions 


296  CHARLES    I. 

troubled  the  peace  of  England,  and  that  very 
disastrous  times  ensued.  A  civil  war  (that  is, 
a  war  between  the  inhabitants  of  the  same 
country)  entailed  various  evils  on  all  ranks,  and 
justice  was  for  a  while  overthrown.  • 

The  Duke  of  Buckingham,  the  companion  of 
Charles's  youthful  travels,  mischievously  biased 
his  regal  government.  He  became  very  odious 
to  the  nation,  and  was  stabbed  to  the  heart  by 
one  Felton,  at  Portsmouth.  The  Duke  was 
talking  to  some  gentleman  at  the  moment,  quite 
unconscious  of  the  coming  blow.  "  The  villain 
has  killed  me !"  were  the  only  words  he  pro- 
nounced ;  and  from  a  state  of  health,  vigor, 
rank,  and  fortune,  in  one  instant  he  was  de- 
prived of  all,  and  fell  lifeless  to  the  ground. 

Felton  scorned  to  deny  a  crime,  of  which  he 
was  proud,  and  died  glorying  in  his  guilt. 

Charles,  having  lost  his  favorite  minister,  had 
the  wisdom  to  supply  his  place  with  more  de- 
serving men.  Wentworth,  Earl  of  Strafford, 
was  worthy  of  the  royal  confidence.  In  private 
life,  he  was  amiable ;  as  a  minister,  he  was 
faithful  to  his  King.  Unhappily,  the  people 
did  not  think  him  equally  friendly  to  their  in- 
terests. Strafford  was  accused  of  treason  to 
the  state,  tried,  and  condemned  to  death.  Some 
passages  of  his  most  interesting  address  to  his 


KING    OF    ENGLAND.  297 

judges  I  must  extract  for  you.  Wise,  virtuous, 
yet  oppressed,  behold  him  surrounded  by  his 
children,  pleading  his  own  cause.  As  he  was 
able  to  conclude,  he  looked  tenderly  upon  his 
little  ones,  and  added,  "  My  Lords,  I  have 
troubled  you  too  long — much  longer  than  I 
should  have  done,  but  for  the  sake  of  these  dear 
pledges,  which  a  saint  in  heaven  has  left  me. 
That  I  suffer  myself  is  nothing  ;  that  my  pos- 
terity will  suffer  for  my  indiscretions  wounds 
my  heart.  Pardon  my  infirmity  !  Something 
I  should  have  added,  but  am  not  able  :  let  it 
pass.  I  have  been  taught  that  the  afflictions  of 
this  world  are  overpaid  to  the  innocent  in  an- 
other :  therefore  with  tranquillity  I  submit  my- 
self to  your  judgment,  whether  that  judgment 
be  life  or  death.  Not  my  will,  but  thine,  O 
God,  be  done  !" 

Charles  endeavored  in  vain  to  save  his  faith- 
ful servant.  Strafford  suffered  on  the  block  ; 
to  the  last  moment  sustaining  himself  with  dig- 
nity and  meekness. 

But  I  am  not  come  to  the  end  of  the  cata- 
logue of  executions  :  for  I  have  to  tell  you,  that 
Charles  himself,  the  anointed  and  acknowledged 
King  of  England,  suffered  death  by  the  com- 
mand of  his  subjects. 

No  rank  can  excuse  vice  ;  no  titles  ought  to 


298  CHARLES    I. 

screen  guilt.  But  Charles  was  not  vicious  ; 
Charles  was  not  guilty  :  and  historians  concur 
in  bearing  testimony  to  his  many  excellent 
qualities.  Faults,  no  doubt,  he  had  ;  and  who 
is  faultless  ?  Certainly  not  those  who  con- 
demned him.  After  various  struggles  with  his 
people,  and  a  protracted  civil  war,  he  was  so 
totally  defeated  at  the  battle  of  Naseby,*  that 
he  never  again  could  make  a  vigorous  effort,  and 
finally  took  refuge  in  the  Scottish  camp.  The 
Scots  delivered  him  up  to  the  Parliamentary 
troops.  Among  these  Oliver  Cromwell  now 
began  to  appear.  The  King  was  moved  from 
place  to  place,  and  guarded  as  a  state  prisoner. 
At  last,  a  trial  was  held  and  he  was  sentenced 
to  death. 

Charles  evinced  an  equanimity,  a  patience, 
truly  magnanimous.  He  took  a  tender  leave  of 
his  younger  children  :  the  Queen  and  his  elder 
sons  had  fled  to  France.  He  walked  out  of  the 
window  of  the  Banqueting-house  of  his  palace 
of  Whitehall  to  the  scaffold,  and  addressed  the 
people  within  hearing,  justifying  his  conduct, 
and  declaring  himself  innocent  of  the  calamities 
of  his  country,  having  only  taken  up  arms  when 
compelled  to  do  so. 

He  then  laid  his  head  upon  the  block,  and  it 
*  In  Yorkshire. 


KING    OF    ENGLAND.  299 

was  struck  off  at  a  blow.  Many  of  the  crowd 
melted  into  tears,  and  none  were  heard  to  repeat 
the  words  of  the  executioner,  when  he  exclaimed, 
"  This  is  the  head  of  a  traitor  !"  Charles  was 
beheaded  in  the  forty-ninth  year  of  his  age,  and 
the  twenty-fourth  of  his  reign. 

During  this  period  lived  many  celebrated 
men  : — Dr.  Harvey,  who  discovered  that'  the 
blood  circulated  through  the  arteries  and  veins  ; 
Kepler,  the  German  astronomer ;  Davila,  the 
Italian  historian  ;  Lopes  de  Vega,  the  Spanish 
poet,  who  is  said  to  have  written  2200  plays  ; 
Vandyke,  the  Dutch  painter ;  Galileo,  the  Italian 
philosopher ;  Richelieu,  the  minister  of  Louis 
XIII. ;  Des  Cartes,  the  French  astronomer ; 
Inigo  Jones,  the  English  architect ;  John  Sel- 
den,  the  antiquary ;  Archbishop  Usher,  the 
chronologer. 

I  write  down  the  names  of  these  famous  per- 
sonages :  and  when  you  hear  any  of  them  spoken 
of,  pray  look  into  the  page  where  they  are 
named,  to  ascertain  about  what  period  they 
lived.  By  constantly  doing  so,  you  will  learn 
in  what  reign  to  place  them,  and  thus  be  able 
to  judge  what  periods  of  time  have  been  most 
enriched  by  the  labors  of  the  learned  and  the 
ingenious. 


300  REVOLUTION   IN    PORTUGAL. 

CHAPTER  LIV. 

REVOLUTION  IN  PORTUGAL.   1640. 

I  TOLD  you,  that  Philip  II.  of  Spain  had 
seized  the  crown  of  Portugal ;  but  his  was  not 
the  strongest  claim — the  Duke  of  Braganza's 
was  stronger ;  and  the  wife  of  his  grandson, 
being  of  a  very  ambitious  and  daring  temper, 
assisted  by  her  friends,  worked  upon  the  milder 
disposition  of  her  husband  to  assert  his  right. 

The  cruel  Duke  of  Alva,  at  the  head  of  a 
large  army,  had  obtained  the  crown  of  Portugal 
for  his  master,  Philip  II.  Philip  III.  and 
Philip  IV.,  his  son  and  his  grandson,  in  turn, 
inherited  it.  But  these  sovereigns  treated  the 
Portuguese  more  like  a  conquered  people  than 
lawful  subjects  ;  and  discontent  and  displeasure 
spread  through  the  nation. 

Of  these  murmurs  the  friends  of  the  House 
of  Braganza  took  advantage ;  by  a  well-managed 
conspiracy  they  effected  the  liberation  of  Por- 
tugal from  the  galling  dominion  of  Spain,  and 
raised  to  the  throne  the  Duke  of  Braganza, 
grandson  of  that  Duke  of  Braganza  who  had 
opposed  the  claim  of  Philip  II. 

The  address  with  which  the  Duchess  man- 


KEVOLUTION    IN    PORTUGAL.  301 

aged  the  timid  mind  of  her  husband  ;  the  daunt- 
less spirit  she  displayed  under  most  trying  cir- 
cumstances ;  the  ability  and  courage  with  which 
she  assisted  and  inspired  the  conspirators, 
are  all  laudable,  because  exerted  in  a  worthy 
cause — the  liberation  of  her  country,  and  the 
restoration  to  her  husband  of  his  just  rights. 

I  should  have  much  pleasure  in  detailing  the 
incidents  of  this  interesting  Revolution ;  but  I 
cannot  abridge  the  account  without  destroying 
its  attraction.  You  will  find  it  written,  in  very 
easy  French,  by  M.  Vertot,  in  one  small  vol- 
ume :  and  to  that  I  refer  you  for  particulars. 

Among  the  many  females  who,  besides  the 
Duchess  of  Braganza,  showed  their  spirit  on 
this  occasion,  Donna  Philippa  de  Villenes  was 
not  the  least  prominent.  With  her  own  hands 
she  armed  her  two  sons  ;  and,  sending  them 
forth,  observed  :  "  Go,  my  children  !  extinguish 
tyranny,  and  avenge  us  on  our  enemies ;  and 
be  sure  that,  if  success  should  not  crown  our 
efforts,  your  mother  will  not  survive  the  mis- 
fortunes of  her  country." 

Two  other  royal  females  were,  about  the 
same  time,  distinguishing  themselves  in  Eu- 
rope. Christina,  Queen  of  Sweden,  was  as  re- 
markable for  her  love  of  literature,  as  for  the 
sacrifices  she  made  to  indulge  her  favorite 


302  REVOLUTION   IN    PORTUGAL. 

taste.  After  a  short  and  prosperous  reign,  she 
abdicated  her  throne,  that  she  might  more  fully 
resign  herself  to  the  charms  of  study. 

She  visited  Franc^  Italy,  and  various  other 
parts  of  Europe.  It  is  said,  that,  when  she 
quitted  Sweden,  she  dismissed  her  female  at- 
tendants and  assumed  the  male  attire.  You 
will  read  of  the  murder  of  Monaldeschi,  one  of 
her  officers,  with  emotions  of  horror.  This  un- 
fortunate man,  having  incurred  her  displeasure, 
was  stabbed  by  her  order  in  a  room  adjoining 
the  one  she  occupied.  You  will  find  the  story 
at  large  in  Thicknesse's  "  Letters." 

Christina  afterward  desired  to  recover  her 
crown ;  a  proof  not  so  much  of  her  fickleness, 
as  that  we  are  fitted  to  our  condition,  and 
therefore  ought  gratefully  to  enjoy  it,  and  not 
wish  for  a  change  that  would  most  probably 
cause  us  more  evil  than  good.  Christina  failed 
in  her  desire  of  remounting  her  throne,  and 
died  in  privacy  at  Rome. 

Of  Anne  of  Austria,  the  mother  of  Louis 
XIV.,  the  third  renowned  female  of  this  period, 
you  will  hear  when  I  come  to  speak  of  that 
monarch. 


COMMONWEALTH    OF    ENGLAND.          303 

CHAPTER  LV. 

COMMONWEALTH    OF    ENGLAND. 

FOR  a  few  years  after  the  death  of  Charles 
I.  England  was  wholly  governed  by  the  Parlia- 
menters,  or  House  of  Commons.  Charles  had 
called  this  meeting,  and  it  continued  for  so 
many  years,  that  it  is  distinguished  in  history 
as  the  "Long  Parliament."  Charles  II.,  the 
son  of  the  late  King,  proceeded  from  Paris  to 
Scotland,  and  asserted  his  birthright  to  the 
united  crowns  of  that  country  and  England. 
But  he  was  unfortunate  in  all  his  attempts. 
At  length,  finally  defeated  by  Cromwell,  at 
Worcester,  he  fled  for  safety  in  a  wretched  dis- 
guise. At  one  time,  dressed  like  a  peasant,  he 
subsisted  by  cutting  faggots ;  at  another,  he 
took  shelter  under  the  protection  of  a  poor  cot- 
tager, named  Pendril.  One  day,  almost  de- 
tected by  his  enemies,  he  climbed  up  into  a  fine 
oak,  the  thick  foliage  of  which  screened  him 
from  observation,  and  his  pursuers  passed  with- 
out discovering  him.  This  surprising  adven- 
ture is  still  commemorated  in  England.  In 
some  parts  of  the  country  oak  boughs  are 
placed  over  house-doors,  and  carried  about  by 
boys,  on  the  29th  of  May. 


304         COMMONWEALTH    OP    ENGLAND. 

Next  lie  appeared  as  a  servant,  and  in  that 
capacity  rode  before  a  lady ;  and  once  he  was 
one  of  a  crowd  listening  to  a  fanatic  preacher, 
when  a  blacksmith  pi^ent  had  nearly  detected 
him  by  his  horse.  At  last  he  escaped  to 
France,  and  his  various  adventures  would  form 
a  volume  of  wonderful  and  amusing  incidents. 

Though  forty  persons  had,  at  different  times, 
been  acquainted  with  his  situation,  not  one  be- 
trayed him :  an  honorable  testimony  of  the 
good  faith  of  so  many  English  ! 

Oliver  Cromwell  now  began  to  think  of  ex- 
tending his  own  power  by  annihilating  that  of 
the  Long  Parliament.  He,  therefore,  boldly 
entered  the  House  of  Commons,  followed  by 
three  hundred  soldiers  rudely  exclaiming  to 
the  members,  "  Gret  you  gone,  and  give  place  to 
honester  men !  You  are  no  longer  a  Parlia- 
ment :  I  tell  you,  that  you  are  no  longer  a  Par- 
liament !"  Then,  clearing  the  house,  by  turn- 
ing out  all  the  alarmed  members,  he  locked  the 
door  and  put  the  key  into  his  pocket. 

At  the  head  of  a  powerful  army,  and  assured 
of  the  attachment  of  his  troops,  Cromwell  was 
now  master  of  England.  But,  not  choosing  to 
assume  the  title  of  King,  he  was  invested  with 
supreme  power  by  the  title  of  Lord  Protector 
of  the  Commonwealth  of  England :  a  remark- 


COMMONWEALTH    OF    ENGLAND.          305 

able  instance  of  elevation  by  great  abilities 
acting  upon  favoring  circumstances.  Oliver 
Cromwell  was  born  of  respectable  parents,  and 
was  very  dissipated  in:  early  life.  He  had 
spent  all  his  property,  and  was  about  to  emi- 
grate to  America,  when  a  law  just  then  passed 
to  prevent  such  emigrations.  He  early  gave 
proof  of  his  extraordinary  abilities,  and  seemed 
capable  of  completing  whatever  he  chose  to  un- 
dertake. 

But,  in  spite  of  his  successful  exertions,  in 
spite  of  his  reaching  so  exalted  a  station,  the 
latter  days  of  Cromwell  were  embittered  with 
distrust  and  affliction.  He  lost  his  favorite 
daughter  ;  and  was  perpetually  harassed  by  the 
dread  of  conspiracy  and  assassination.  He  al- 
ways carried  pistols  in  his  pockets,  and  wore 
armor  under  his  clothes.  He  seldom  slept 
twice  in  the  same  room,  and  never  went  abroad 
without  guards.  Such  a  state  of  constant  terror 
could  not  fail  of  affecting  the  body.  Cromwell's 
health  declined  with  his  peace  of  mind ;  and, 
after  nine  years  of  troubled  greatness,  he  ex- 
pired in  the  sixtieth  year  of  his  age,  naming  his 
Bon,  Richard,  as  his  successor. 


26 


306  DUKE    DE    MONTMORENCI. 


CHAPTER  LVI. 

LOUIS    XIII.  AND    XIV.  KINGS    OF    FRANCE. 

Louis  XIII.,  son  of  the  great  Henry,  was  so 
young  at  the  time  of  his  father's  death,  that  his 
mother,  Mary  de  Medicis,  was  appointed  Re- 
gent. Mary  was  a  weak,  but  cunning  woman, 
and  was  much  ruled  by  favorites.  When  one 
of  these,  an  Italian  lady,  the  wife  of  Concini, 
Marquis  d'Ancre,  was  asked  how  she  contrived 
so  wholly  to  govern  the  Queen-mother,  she  re- 
plied, "  By  the  influence  which  a  strong  mind 
has  over  a  feeble  one." 

Henry,  Duke  De  Montmorenci,  was  at  this 
time  one  of  the  bravest  and  most  honorable 
noblemen  in  France.  Henry  IV.  was  his  god- 
father. His  family  had  always  been  loyal  sub- 
jects ;  and  many  of  his  ancestors  had  lost  their 
lives  in  defending  their  king  and  country. 
Gaston,  Duke  of  Orleans,  brother  to  Louis 
XIII.,  rebelled  against  his  king  and  brother ; 
and  the  noble  Duke  De  Montmorenci  was  per- 
suaded to  join  him.  At  the  battle  of  Castnel- 
naudari,  in  1632,  he  was  deserted  in  a  cowardly 
manner  by  Gaston  and  his  army,  and  fell  into 
the  hands  of  the  King's  troops,  covered  with 


DUKE    DE    MONTMORENCI.  307 

wounds,  which  put  an  end  to  the  war.     The 
King  pardoned  his  brother,  who  promised  to  be 
a  dutiful  subject  in  future,  and  hoped  by  this 
promise  to  be  able  to  procure  the  pardon  of  his 
friend  Montmorenci  also.     But  this  hope  was 
vain,  for  Louis  ordered  him  to  be  tried  as  soon 
as  he  had  recovered  from  his  wounds.     All  the 
lords  and  ladies  of  the  court  united  in  their 
entreaties  to  the  King,  that  he  would  spare  the 
life  of  the  man  who  was  beloved  by  the  whole 
nation  ;  but  Louis  was  not  to  be  softened  ;  nei- 
ther the  youth  of  the  Duke,  nor  his  former 
victories  for  his  country,  nor  his  repentance, 
nor  the  tears  and  agonies  of  his  beautiful  and 
amiable  wife,  had  any  effect  in  his  favor.     The 
officer  who  had  taken  him  prisoner  at  the  battle 
of  Castnelnaudari  also  fell  at  the  feet  of  his 
sovereign,  to  beg  the  life  of  his  illustrious  cap- 
tive, but  without  success,  for  he  was  condemned 
to  be  beheaded.     Soon  after  his  condemnation, 
the  King  sent  for  his  marshal's  staff  and  his 
collar  of  knighthood.  These  distinguished  marks 
of  his  sovereign's  favor  and  of  his  own  merits 
were  brought  to  Louis  while  playing  at  chess, 
and  all  the  nobility  in  the  room  immediately 
burst  into  tears.     "  Sire,"  said  the  gentleman 
who  had  acted  as  messenger,  "  behold  the  collar 
and  the  staff,  which  I  present  you  from  the 


308  DUKE    DE    MONTMORENCI. 

unfortunate  Duke  De  Montmorenci !  He  has 
desired  me  to  assure  your  majesty  that  he  dies 
deeply  penitent  for  having  offended  you,  and 
that,  so  far  from  complaining  of  the  sentence 
which  condemns  him,  he  thinks  it  too  lenient  for 
the  crime  he  has  committed."  Having  said  this. 
lie  fell  at  the  knees  of  the  King,  and  taking 
hold  of  them  both  with  his  hands,  and  bursting 
into  tears,  said,  "  Ah,  sire  !  ah,  sire  !  pardon 
Montmorenci !  His  ancestors  were  faithful  ser- 
vants to  your  predecessors  !  Pardon  him,  sire  ! 
Pardon  him."  At  this  instant,  all  the  people  in 
the  room  (which  was  much  crowded),  both  men 
and  women,  fell  upon  their  knees,  crying,  "  For 
God's  sake,  sire,  pardon  the  Duke  !"  At  this 
dreadful  and  affecting  sight,  Louis  appeared 
totally  unmoved  :  "  No,"  said  he,  raising  his 
voice,  "Montmorenci  must  not  be  pardoned — 
there  cannot  possibly  be  any  pardon  for  him  ! 
You  ought  not  to  be  sorry  that  a  man  should 
die  who  has  been  so  guilty  as  he  ;  the  only 
favor  I  can  grant  him  is,  that  the  executioner 
shall  not  tie  his  hands."  When  this  was  com- 
municated to  the  Duke,  his  surgeon,  who  had 
come  to  cut  off  his  hair  to  prepare  him  for  his 
execution,  fainted  away  at  his  side.  "  Ah  !  poor 
man  !"  said  the  Duke ,  "  you,  who  so  firmly 
exhorted  me,  while  I  was  in  prison,  to  receive 


DUKE    DE    MONTMORENCI.  309 

all  my  sufferings  as  coming  from  the  hand  of 
my  Maker — you,  I  see,  are  more  afflicted  than 
myself.  Comfort  yourself ;  let  me  embrace  you, 
and  take  my  last  farewell !"  Then,  turning  to 
his  confessor,  he  said,  "  I  am  now  ready  to  go 
to  the  scaffold."  The  scaffold  was  erected  in  an 
inner  court  of  the  town-house  of  Thoulouse,  in 
which  the  Duke  was  confined.  In  passing  to  it, 
he  observed  the  statue  of  Henry  IV.  which 
stood  in  the  middle  of  the  area ;  it  was  the 
statue  of  a  monarch  who  had  been,  in  some 
measure,  indebted  to  the  Duke's  father  for  the 
crown  of  France.  He  stopped  some  minutes, 
and  looked  at  it  very  attentively,  reflecting,  per- 
haps, on  the  ingratitude  and  cruelty  of  the  son 
of  that  King.  His  confessor,  who  was  near 
him,  asked  him  what  was  the  matter,  and  if  he 
wanted  anything.  "  No,  no,  my  good  father," 
replied  the  illustrious  criminal ;  "  I  was  only 
looking  at  the  statue  of  Henry  the  Fourth  !  He 
was  a  great  and  a  noble-minded  prince  !  I  had 
the  honor  to  be  his  godson ! — Let  us  go  on." 
Then,  pointing  to  the  scaffold,  he  added,  "  That 
is  my  only  road  to  heaven." 

When  he  came  on  the  scaffold,  he  saluted 
the  commanding  officer  and  all  the  persons  pre- 
sent, more  particularly  the  town-guards,  who 
had  orders  to  attend  this  melancholy  ceremony 


310  DUKE    DE    MONTMORENCI. 

in  the  dress  they  wore  on  solemn  occasions. 
He  entreated  them  all  to  bear  testimony  to  his 
sovereign  that  he  died  his  most  obedient  sub- 
ject, and  penetrated  with  the  deepest  contrition 
for  having  offended  him.  He  then  placed  his 
neck  upon  the  block  :  and,  having  recommended 
his  soul  to  the  Author  of  his  being,  he  received 
the  fatal  blow,  on  the  30th  October,  1632.  The 
surgeons  who  opened  his  body  found  five  mus- 
ket-balls in  it ;  and  remarked  that  of  the  seven- 
teen wounds  he  had  received  at  the  battle  of 
Castnelnaudari,  not  one  was  mortal.  Soon  af- 
ter he  was  taken  prisoner,  his  surgeon  wished 
to  dress  them,  but  he  said,  "  Oh,  no,  my  good 
friend,  it  is  not  necessary,  for  one  more  will  soon 
cure  them  all."  Thus  perished  on  a  scaffold 
Henry  de  Montmorenci,  a  nobleman  highly  dis- 
tinguished by  his  splendid  endowments,  which 
would  have  pleaded  strongly  in  favor  of  the  life  of 
him  who  possessed  them,  had  not  treason  against 
the  King  been  considered  one  of  the  greatest 
crimes  a  subject  could  be  guilty  of.  The  con- 
fessor who  attended  the  Duke  to  the  scaffold, 
came  to  Louis  immediately  after  the  execution, 
to  tell  his  majesty  in  what  manner  his  illustri- 
ous penitent  had  behaved  at  the  awful  moment. 
"  Your  majesty,"  added  he,  "  has  given  a  very 
striking  example  to  the  world  by  the  death  of 


DUKE    DE    MONTMORENCi.  Oil 

the  Duke  ;  but  God,  in  His  great  mercy,  has 
made  him  a  saint  in  heaven !"  When  the  Duchess 
de  Montmorenci  was  informed  of  the  death  of  her 
husband,  she  exclaimed,  "  What !  is  this  the  King 
who  is  called  Louis  the  Just  ?  Oh,  my  God  ! 
my  Montmorenci  was  all  I  loved  in  this  world, 
and  Thou  hast  taken  him  from  me,  that  I  may 
love  only  Thee  !"  The  Duchess  retired  to  a 
convent  at  Moulins,  where  she  passed  the  re- 
mainder of  her  days  in  sorrow  and  penitence. 
She  erected  a  magnificent  mausoleum  in  the 
chapel  of  the  convent  for  her  husband,  which  she 
visited  every  day  till  she  died.  She  had  lived 
two  years  in  this  manner,  when  the  King,  pass- 
ing through  Moulins,  sent  one  of  his  gentle- 
men to  inquire  after  her  health.  She  received 
him  in  the  room  in  which  she  always  sat,  which 
was  hung  with  black  cloth,  and  illuminated  by  ta- 
pers, with  a  crucifix  on  the  table,  and  a  whole- 
length  picture  of  the  Duke  over  the  chimney- 
piece.  "  Tell  his  majesty,  I  entreat- you,  sir,"  said 
she,  "  how  astonished  I  am  that  he  should  have 
the  least  recollection  of  a  widow  so  wretched 
and  so  unworthy  of  the  honor  he  does  me  as  I 
am ;  and  I  pray  you  do  not  forget  to  tell  him 
also  of  all  that  you  see  here."  She  died  at 
Moulins,  in  1664,  thirty-two  years  after  her  hus- 
band's execution. 


312  LOUIS  xiv. 

Cardinal  Richelieu  was  the  celebrated  minis- 
ter of  Louis  XIII.  On  the  death  of  Richelieu, 
Cardinal  Mazarin  succeeded  to  some  of  his 
power. 

Mary  de  Medicis,  desiring  too  much  conse- 
quence, lost  what  she  ought  to  have  possessed, 
and  died  in  obscurity. 

Louis  XIII.  died  in  1643,  at  the  age  of  forty- 
two,  having  reigned  thirty-three  years. 

His  son,  Louis  XIV.,  was  a  child  four  years 
old  when  he  ascended  the  throne  of  France. 
During  his  minority,  his  mother,  Anne  of  Aus- 
tria, and  Cardinal  Mazarin,  principally  governed 
the  kingdom.  Mazarin  being  much  disliked,  a 
strong  party  rose  against  him,  called  the 
Fronde.  Thus  a  civil  war  arose.  When  Maza- 
rin died,  Louis,  then  twenty-two  years  of  age, 
was  asked  by  his  state  officers,  to  whom  they 
should  address  themselves  on  matters  of  busi- 
ness ?  and  the  young  King  surprised  them  by 
replying,  "  To  me  !" — very  wisely  resolving  to 
take  upon  himself  the  duties  as  well  as  the 
splendors  of  royalty. 

Louis  married  a  Spanish  princess  :  his  brother 
espoused  Henrietta,  the  sister  of  Charles  II., 
of  England.  When  you  are  older,  you  will 
probably  read  M.  Voltaire's  "  Siecle  de  Louis 
XIV."  I  have  to  beg,  if  you  do  so,  that  you 


TRUE  STORIES. 


PilJA!  SIS. 


KING    OF    FRANCE.  313 

will  not  be  misled  by  his  remarks  on  these  royal 
ladies.  He  says  of  the  Queen  of  Louis  XIV., 
"  that  goodness  constituted  her  only  merit." 
Pray  what  higher  merit  could  she  have  ?  Then 
he  proceeds  to  praise  warmly  the  charms  and 
graces  of  the  princess  Henrietta  ;  and  mentions 
that  the  elegance  and  propriety  which  reigned 
in  the  court  of  Louis  were  greatly  owing  to  the 
winning  manners  of  the  English  princess.  As, 
in  another  passage,  he  remarks  the  excessive 
attention  of  Louis  to  his  fair  sister-in-law,  and 
her  open  preference  of  his  society,  I  conceive 
that  she  was  in  real  merit  every  way  inferior 
to  her  sister,  the  Queen,  and  should  not  have 
been  praised  as  superior  to  her.  It  is  thus  that 
shining  qualities  draw  more  notice  and  celebri- 
ty than  those  which  are  virtuous  and  more  in- 
trinsically good. 

Therefore  it  is,  that  women  should  rather  shun 
than  court  celebrity  ;  since  the  actions  and  at- 
tributes which  procure  renown  are  seldom  com- 
patible with  the  purity  of  feminine  virtue  and 
the  delicacy  of  feminine  feelings.  Be  assured 
that,  in  all  respects,  it  were  better  not  to  be 
talked  of ;  and  that,  by  persons  of  good  sense 
and  right  feelings,  more  respect  is  bestowed  on 
the  memory  of  Marie  There se  by  the  simple 
remark,  "  La  bonte  faisait  son  seul  m€rite" 
2  A  27 


314  LOUIS  xiv. 

than  by  the  long  paragraph  that  applauds  the 
various  attractions  of  the  less  amiable  Henrietta. 

The  reign  of  Louis  has  been  long  extolled  for 
its  splendor.  It  seems  to  me  to  owe  its  chief 
distinction  to  the  numerous  learned  and  inge- 
nious men  who  then  enriched  France.  Louis,  in- 
deed, was  fond  of  war,  and  pursued  his  inclina- 
tion at  a  vast  expense  ;  but,  by  so  doing,  did  he 
purchase  commensurate  blessings  for  his  sub- 
jects ?  His  people  contributed  large  sums  to 
forward  the  projects  of  their  monarch  ;  did  those 
projects  ultimately  benefit  those  who  had  thus 
paid  for  them  ?  You  must  ask  yourselves  these 
questions  when  you  are  conversant  with  the 
history  of  Louis.  If  you  answer  them  in  the 
affirmative,  Louis  was  certainly  a  great  King ; 
if  you  answer  them  in  the  negative,  as  surely 
Louis  was  not  a  great  King. 

He  seems  himself  to  have  been  aware  that  he 
had  pursued  a  mistaken  course,  and  indulged 
unworthy  desires ;  for,  with  his  dying  breath, 
he  counselled  his  son  "  to  do  what  he  had  not 
done  ;  and  not  to  do  what  he  had  done."  Louis 
died  in  the  seventy-eighth  year  of  his  age,  1st 
September,  1715. 

Of  the  many  wise  and  virtuous  men  who  shed 
a  lustre  on  this  reign,  I  must  give  you  and  my- 
self the  pleasure  of  naming  some  : — 


THE    IRON    MASK.  315 

The  admirable  Fenelon,  Archbishop  of  Cam- 
bray,  the  author  of  Telemachus  and  other  ad- 
mired works,  and  the  tutor  to  Louis's  grandson, 
the  Duke  of  Burgundy ;  the  charming  drama- 
tists, Racine,  Corneille,  Moliere  ;  the  elegant 
preachers,  Massillon  and  Bourdaloue  ;  the  great 
statesman,  Colbert ;  the  famous  generals,  Tu- 
renne,  Conde,  Luxembourg,  Catinat ;  among 
numerous  poets,  the  witty  writer,  Boileau. 

During  the  reign  of  Louis  XIV.,  and  about 
the  year  1661,  a  young  prisoner  arrived  in  the 
Isle  of  St.  Marguerite,  whose  appearance  and 
manners  were  very  noble  and  striking.  He  was 
tall,  elegantly  made,  and  even  the  sound  of  his 
voice  was  particularly  interesting.  On  the  road, 
he  always  wore  a  black  velvet  mask,  with  iron 
springs,  that  he  might  be  able  to  eat  without 
taking  it  off,  from  which  he  was  called  "  The 
Man  with  the  Iron  Mask,"  or  more  commonly, 
"  The  Iron  Mask."  His  attendants  had  receiv- 
ed orders  to  kill  him  if  he  attempted  to  take  it 
off,  or  to  make  himself  known.  He  had  been 
first  confined  at  Pignerol,  under  the  care  of  the 
governor,  whose  name  was  St.  Mars  ;  and"  upon 
being  sent  thence  to  St.  Marguerite,  he  was  ac- 
companied by  the  same  person,  who  continued  to 
have  the  charge  of  him.  He  was  always  treat- 
ed with  the  greatest  respect ;  the  governor  him- 


316  LOUIS  xiv. 

self  placed  the  dishes  on  his  table  when  he  dined, 
and  retired  immediately  after,  locking  the  door 
when  he  went  out.  He  never  wore  his  hat  in 
the  presence  of  the  prisoner,  nor  sat  down  be- 
fore him,  unless  he  were  desired.  During  his 
residence  at  Marguerite,  he  twice  attempted  to 
make  himself  known.  One  day  he  wrote  some- 
thing with  his  knife  on  a  silver  plate,  and  threw 
it  out  of  his  window  toward  a  boat  that  was  on 
shore  near  the  foot  of  the  tower  :  a  fisherman 
picked  it  up,  and  took  it  to  the  governor,  who 
was  alarmed  at  the  sight,  and  asked  the  man 
with  great  anxiety  if  he  could  read,  and  if  any 
one  else  had  seen  the  plate  1  The  man  answer- 
ed that  he  could  not  read,  and  that  no  one  else 
had  seen  it,  for  he  had  but  just  found  it.  He 
was,  however,  kept  in  confinement  till  the  gov- 
ernor was  well  assured  that  he  spoke  the  truth. 
Another  attempt  which  the  unfortunate  Man  in 
the  Mask  made  to  discover  himself  proved  equal- 
ly unsuccessful.  A  young  man,  who  lived  in 
the  island,  one  day  perceived  something  floating 
under  the  prisoner's  window,  and,  on  picking  it 
up,  he  found  it  was  a  very  fine  shirt,  written  all 
over.  He  carried  it  immediately  to  the  govern- 
or, who,  having  looked  at  some  parts  of  the 
writing,  asked  the  lad  with  some  appearance  of 
anxiety,  if  he  had  not  had  the  curiosity  to  read 


THE    IRON    MASK.  317 

it  ?  He  protested,  repeatedly,  that  lie  had  not ; 
but,  two  days  afterward,  he  was  found  dead  in 
his  hed.  The  unfortunate  prisoner  remained  in 
the  island  till  the  year  1698,  when  St.  Mars, 
being  appointed  governor  of  the  Bastille,  con- 
ducted him  to  that  fortress.  On  the  road  they 
stopped  at  the  governor's  estate,  and  the  Man 
in  the  Mask  arrived  there  in  a  litt'er,  surround- 
ed by  a  numerous  guard  on  horseback.  St. 
Mars  ate  at  the  same  table  with  him  all  the 
time  they  remained  there  ;  but  the  prisoner  was 
always  placed  with  his  back  toward  the  win- 
dows :  and  the  peasants,  who  came  to  pay  their 
respects  to  their  master,  and  whom  curiosity 
kept  constantly  on  the  watch,  observed  that  St. 
Mars  always  sat  opposite  to  him,  with  two  pis- 
tols by  the  side  of  his  plate.  They  were  waited 
on  by  one  servant  only,  who  brought  in  and 
carried  out  the  dishes,  always  carefully  shutting 
the  door  both  in  coming  in  and  going  out  of  the 
room.  The  prisoner  was  constantly  masked  ;  but 
the  people  saw  his  lips  and  his  teeth,  and  also 
observed  that  his  hair  was  gray.  The  governor 
slept  in  the  same  room  with  him,  in  a  second 
bed  placed  in  it  for  that  purpose ;  and  in  the 
course  of  the  journey,  the  prisoner  was  one  day 
heard  to  ask  his  keeper,  if  the  King  intended 
to  kill  him  ?  "  No,  prince,"  he  replied  :  "  if  you 


318  LOUIS  xiv. 

quietly  allow  yourself  to  be  conducted,  your  life 
is  perfectly  safe."  The  stranger  was  accommo- 
dated as  well  as  it  was  possible  to  be  in  the 
Bastille.  A  room  had  been  prepared  for  him 
by  order  of  the  governor,  fitted  up  in  the  most 
convenient  style  ;  and  everything  he  expressed 
a  wish  for  was  instantly  procured  for  him.  His 
food  was  the  best  that  could  be  provided,  and 
he  was  ordered  to  be  supplied  with  as  rich 
clothes  as  he  desired ;  but  his  chief  liking  in 
this  way  was  for  lace,  and  for  linen  remarkably 
fine.  He  was  allowed  the  use  of  books,  and 
passed  much  of  his  time  in  reading.  He  also 
amused  himself  with  playing  on  the  guitar.  He 
had  the  liberty  of  going  to  mass,  but  was  then 
strictly  forbidden  to  speak  or  uncover  his  face  ; 
orders  were  even  given  to  the  soldiers  to  fire  upon 
him  if  he  attempted  either,  and  their  guns  were 
pointed  toward  him  as  he  passed  through  the 
court.  When  he  had  occasion  to  see  the  doctor, 
he  was  obliged,  under  pain  of  death,  to  wear  his 
mask  ;  and  an  old  physician,  who  had  often  at- 
tended him,  said  that  he  never  saw  his  face, 
though  he  had  frequently  examined  his  tongue, 
and  different  parts  of  his  body ;  and  that  he 
never  complained  of  his  confinement,  nor  gave 
any  hint  by  which  it  might  be  guessed  who  he 
was.  It  is  said  that  he  often  passed  the  night 


THE    IRON    MASK.  319 

in  walking  up  and  down  the  room.  This  unfor- 
tunate prince  died  on  the  19th  of  November, 
1703,  after  a  short  illness,  and  was  buried,  the 
next  day,  in  the  burying-place  of  the  parish  of 
St.  Paul.  The  name  given  to  him  was  Mar- 
chiali ;  and  even  his  age  was  concealed,  for  in 
the  register  made  of  his  funeral  it  was  said  that 
he  was  about  forty  years  old ;  though  he  had 
told  his  doctor,  some  time  before  his  death,  that 
he  thought  he  must  be  sixty.  Immediately  af- 
ter his  death,  his  clothes,  linen,  bed,  and,  in 
short,  everything  that  had  been  used  by  him, 
were  burned ;  the  walls  of  his  room  were  scraped, 
and  the  floor  was  taken  up,  lest  he  should  have 
found  means  to  write  something  that  might  dis- 
close his  real  quality  :  and,  for  still  greater  se- 
curity, his  plate  was  melted  down ;  the  glass 
was  taken  out  of  the  windows  of  his  room,  and 
pounded  to  dust ;  the  doors  and  window-frames 
were  burned ;  and  the  ceiling  of  the  room,  and 
even  the  plaster  of  the  inside  of  the  chimney, 
were  taken  down.  Some  people  said  that  the 
body  had  been  buried  without  a  head,  and  that 
a  gentleman,  having  bribed  the  sexton,  had  it 
taken  up  in  the  night,  and  found  a  stone  instead 
of  the  head. 

From  all  these  extraordinary  circumstances, 
it  is  certain  that  "  The  Man  in  the  Iron  Mask  " 


320  CHARLES    II. 

was  a  person  of  high  birth  and  great  conse- 
quence ;  and  that  his  being  concealed  was  of 
the  utmost  importance  to  the  King  and  the  min- 
istry. Many  different  opinions  have  been  en- 
tertained about  his  real  history,  but  the  truth 
has  never  yet  been  discovered,  and  it  now  seems 
scarcely  possible  that  it  ever  should  be.  The 
account  most  believed  is,  that  he  was  a  twin- 
brother  of  Louis  XIV.,  and  that  the  fear  of  his 
occasioning  a  civil  war  in  the  kingdom  made  it 
be  thought  prudent  thus  to  confine  him  for  life. 
Louis  XIV.  was  succeeded  by  his  grandson, 
Louis  XV.,  son  of  the  Dauphin,  and  younger 
brother  to  the  Duke  of  Burgundy.  Observe 
that  Louis  XIV.  lived  during  the  reign  of  five 
English  monarchs  from  Charles  I.  to  George  I. 


CHAPTER  LVII. 

CHARLES    II.    KINO    OF    GREAT    BRITAIN. 

RICHARD  CROMWELL  was  proclaimed  Pro- 
tector, according  to  the  wishes  of  his  father ; 
but  he  soon  resigned  his  title.  General  Monk, 
at  the  head  of  a  powerful  army,  asserted  the 
claims  of  the  Stuarts  ;  and  by  his  aid  Charles 
II.  was  recalled  to  England.  He  fled  from  it,  a 


KING    OF    GREAT    BRITAIN.  321 

wretched  exile ;  he  returned,  its  undisputed 
sovereign. 

On  his  birth-day,  the  twenty-ninth  of  May, 
Charles  II.  entered  London  amidst  the  shouts 
of  an  exulting  populace.  Perhaps  the  very  same 
crowd  had  formerly  as  loudly  cheered  his  adver- 
sary, Oliver  Cromwell ;  perhaps  the  very  same 
crowd  would  just  as  readily  have  beheld  the 
execution  as  the  coronation  of  their  King. 
Learn,  therefore,  to  set  little  value  on  the  accla- 
mations of  a  thoughtless  and  ignorant  mob. 
Desire  only  the  silent  but  heartfelt  and  judi- 
cious approbation  of  the  wise  and  the  good. 

The  reign  of  Charles  is  little  honorable  to  his 
fame ;  and  his  prosperity  will  be  one  among 
many  proofs,  that,  in  this  world,  man  is  not 
always  rewarded  according  to  his  merits.  Charles 
I.  possessing  an  excellent  heart,  and  exhibiting 
many  traits  o£  a  generous  and  affectionate  char- 
acter, was  a  martyr  to  the  turbulence  and  the 
hypocrisy  of  the  times  in  which  he  lived :  his 
son,  Charles  II.,  with  little  of  his  father's  virtue, 
ruled  with  despotism  over  a  willing  and  acclaim- 
ing people ! 

In  the  year  1665,  a  dreadful  plague  depopu- 
lated the  island.  The  entertaining  author*  of 
"Robinson  Crusoe"  has  written  a  history  of 
*  De  Foe. 


*     322  CHARLES    II. 

this  calamity,  that  will  deeply  affect  you ;  pray 
read  it.  The  account  of  such  direful  scenes  will 
lead  you  more  justly  to  prize  the  health  you 
enjoy,  and  which  you  see  enjoyed  by  those  who 
are  dear  to  you.  When  you  read  of  whole  fami- 
lies being  swept  off  in  the  course  of  a  few  days, 
you  will  look  around  upon  your  relatives  with 
emotions  of  fervent  gratitude.  When  you  hear 
of  the  solitary  survivor  of  a  once  numerous 
household,  whilst  a  tender  compassion  will  be 
awakened  for  that  ill-fated  individual,  a  prayer 
of  thankfulness  will  swell  your  bosom  for  your 
own  happier  lot.  For  its  moral  service,  there- 
fore, a  perusal  of  this  mournful  narrative  is  use- 
ful. You  know  where  it  is  said,  that  "  sorrow 
amendeth  the  heart ;"  and  I  have  ever  treasured 
up,  as  a  serviceable  adage,  the  following  senti- 
ment from  a  novel : — "  Consummate  misery  has 
a  moral  tendency,  in  teaching  the  repiner  at  lit- 
tle evils  to  be  juster  to  his  God  and  to  himself 
by  unavoidable  comparison." 

Among  the  many  distressing  executions  that 
stained  the  government  of  Charles  II.,  not  one 
is  more  impressive  and  afflicting  than  that  of 
Lord  Russell.  On  a  charge  of  conspiracy,  this 
young  nobleman  was  tried,  condemned,  and  exe- 
cuted. At  his  trial  he  required  a  secretary ; 
and  who,  think  you,  officiated  for  him  in  that 


KING    OF    GREAT    BRITAIN.  323 

capacity  ? — his  gentle  and  amiable  wife  !  The 
court  was  as  much  touched  by  the  presence  of 
this  heroic  woman  as  I  know  you  will  be  at  the 
recital  of  her  fortitude.  No  woman  ever  did  more 
honor  to  her  sex  than  did  Lady  Rachel  Russell. 
Remember  her  name,  and  respect  her  memory. 
Tenderly  loving  her  husband,  she  yet  smothered 
her  sorrows  for  his  sufferings,  and  sustained 
him  under  them.  Delicate  in  form,  and  agonized 
by  her  fears,  she  nevertheless  made  every  pos- 
sible effort  to  save  her  beloved  lord ;  but,  fail- 
ing in  all  her  attempts,  she  summoned  her  forti- 
tude, and,  far  from  wounding  him  by  her  com- 
plaints, she  parted  from  him  without  shedding  a 
tear  !  Lord  Russell,  sensibly  aware  of  her  ex- 
cellences, and  profoundly  grateful  for  her  mag- 
nanimous patience,  when  she  retired  from  his 
parting  embrace,  exclaimed,  "  Now  the  bitter- 
ness of  death  is  past !"  ;v 
Lord  Cavendish,  the  youthful  friend  of  Rus- 
sell, wished  him  to  effect  his  escape  by  changing 
dresses  with  him,  and  thus  let  him  become  a 
prisoner  for  him.  But  Russell  nobly  declined 
the  generous  proposal.  A  little  before  his  exe- 
cution, he  wound  up  his  watch,  observing  that 
it  was  for  the  last  time,  "  since  now  I  have  done 
with  time,  and  must  think  only  of  eternity." 
He  laid  his  head  on  the  block  with  the  same 


324  CHARLES    II. 

meek  and  pious  resignation  with  which  he  had 
heard  his  sentence,  and  quitted  existence  as 
benignly  as  he  had  lived. 

After  his  death,  Lady  Russell  devoted  her- 
self to  the  education  of  her  children,  and  wrote 
some  "  Letters,"  which  beautifully  display  her 
piety,  her  fortitude,  her  resignation.  These 
letters  I  hope  you  will  read  ;  they  must  make 
every  woman  proud  of  her  sex,  and  every  man 
honor  it.  One  evening  when  Lady  Rachel  was 
alone,  reading  in  the  Bible,  her  candles  suddenly 
went  out.  Unappalled  by  this  sudden  and  un- 
usual circumstance,  she  quietly  summoned  her 
domestics  to  explain  it.  The  butler,  with  shame 
and  repentance,  confessed,  that  the  candles  had 
been  prepared  to  go  out  suddenly,*  but  they 
were  not  intended  for  Jiis  lady.  She  heard  his 
apology  with  gentleness,  and  warned  him  not  to 
frighten  those  who  might  not  so  easily  forgive 
him. 

Have  you  not  often  heard  of  Whig  and 
Tory  ?  Well,  I  must  inform  you,  that  those 
terms  were  first  used  during  the  reign  of  Charles 
II.  The  King's  friends  were  called  Tories  ; 
their  opposers  Whigs. 

*  Perhaps  by  cutting  through  the  candle,  and  introducing 
water ;  for  moisture,  you  know,  will  quickly  extinguish  a 
flame. 


KING    OF    GREAT    BRITAIN.  825 

John  Milton,  the  writer  of  the  finest  poem 
that  perhaps  ever  enriched  any  language,  died 
1674,  just  ten  years  before  Charles  II.  Milton, 
like  the  Greek  bard,  Homer,  was  blind  for  the 
latter  part  of  his  life  ;  but,  though  his  body  was 
dark,  his  mind  was  illuminated  with  unparalleled 
brightness.  Indeed,  to  show  you  that,  however 
profligate  the  monarch,  the  British  *  were  now  a 
refined  and  literary  people,  I  must  tell  you,  that 
a  society  for  the  advancement  of  arts  and  sci- 
ences was  instituted  in  England,  1662.  This 
society  still  continues  to  subsist,  and  is  patron- 
ized by  the  Sovereign,  by  the  highest  nobles, 
and  by  the  best-informed  gentry. 

Charles  II.  died  in  the  fifty-ninth  year  of  his 
age  and  twenty-fifth  of  his  reign.  He  left  a  son, 
called  the  Duke  of  Monmouth ;  but,  as  this  son 
was  not  the  child  of  his  wife,  he  had  no  right  to 
his  father's  crown.  Five  noblemen,  seeking  to 
increase  the  power  of  the  King,  the  initials  of 
their  names  introduced  the  word  cabal,  as  a 
term  for  an  intriguing  party — Clifford,  Ashley, 
Buckingham,  Arlington,  Lauderdale. 

*  From  the  time  of  the  union  of  the  crowns  of  England 
and  Scotland,  by  the  accession  of  the  first  James,  the  island 
has  been  called  Great  Britain. 


2B 


826  PETER    I.    OP    RUSSIA. 

CHAPTER  LVIII. 

PETER    I.  CZAR    OF    RUSSIA. 

RUSSIA  was  much  benefited,  as  you  have 
Been,  by  the  exertions  of  Ivan,  or  John.  That 
vast  empire  was  still  more  indebted  to  the 
labors  of  Peter,  commonly  called  "  the  Great." 
In  what  light  he  deserved  that  title  you  must 
discover. 

Peter  I.  was  the  son  of  Alexis,  who  was  him- 
self a  prince  of  no  mean  worth,  and  who'  is  ac- 
knowledged to  have  laid  the  foundation  of  much 
of  the  after-greatness  of  Russia.  Whilst  Peter 
and  his  elder  brother,  Feodor,  were  very  young, 
their  sister,  Sophia,  a  very  intelligent  and  spir- 
ited woman,  ruled  the  empire.*  But  when  Peter 
became  old  enough  to  judge  for  himself,  he 
thought  his  sister  was  striving  to  obtain  and 
keep  too  much  power  in  her  own  hands :  he 
therefore  rallied  his  chief  friends  around  him, 
deprived  Sophia  of  her  undue  authority,  and, 
with  his  brother,  assumed  the  reins  of  govern- 
ment. Feodor,  being  a  weak-minded  youth,  was 
incapable  of  acting  up  to  his  dignity  ;  and,  after 
some  years  bearing  the  name,  but  not  fulfilling 
the  duties  of  Czar,  he  died. 

*  See  Castera's  Life  of  Catherine  II. 


PETER    I.    OF    RUSSIA.  327 

Sophia  was  put  into  a.  convent  at  Moscow, 
where  she  ended  her  days.  Mr.  Coxe  speaks 
very  favorably  of  this  princess,  and  asserts  that 
Peter  knew  and  highly  estimated  his  sister's 
abilities.  Her  ambition  was  the  sole  cause  of 
her  downfall. 

When  I  tell  you  of  Peter's  many  cruel  acts, 
you  will  be  disposed  to  call  him  "  Peter  the 
Wicked."  When  I  tell  you  of  the  improvements 
in  arts  and  sciences  which  he  caused  to  be  in- 
troduced into  Russia,  you  will  be  ready  to  con- 
fess that  he  earned  the  title  of  "  Great." 

Among  his  numerous  inhuman  deeds,  I  find 
that,  on  his  ordering  the  Russians  to  leave  off 
wearing  beards,  (a  very  unwise  decree,  because 
the  coldness  of  the  climate  renders  the  beard  a 
great  protection  to  the  throat  and  bosom),  a 
violent  insurrection  took  place.  To  punish 
these  revolters,  he  caused  eight  thousand  of 
them  to  be  beheaded ;  and  himself,  taking  a 
hatchet,  began  the  barbarous  work  ! 

His  own  son,  Alexis,  he  seems  never  to  have 
loved.  Alexis,  indeed,  appears  to  have  been  too 
much  like  his  father — badly  educated  and  bad- 
ly disposed.  This  youth  had  fled  from  Russia, 
but  was  induced  to  return  by  a  promise  of  par- 
don and  safety.  Yet  was  he  afterward  tried 


328  PETER    I.    OF    RUSSIA. 

and  put  to  death,  by  the  command  of  his  obdu- 
rate parent. 

Peter  saw,  and  fell  in  love  with,  a  Livonian 
girl,  who  was  servant  to  one  of  his  generals. 
So  well  did  she  manage  her  influence  over  this 
strange  being  that  he  married  her,  and,  by  the 
name  of  Catherine,  had  her  crowned  Czarina,  or 
Empress,  of  Russia.  Catherine  was  cunning 
and  ambitious  :  and,  though  she  behaved  very 
ill  toward  her  husband,  she  contrived  to  escape 
his  just  resentment,  and,  after  his  death,  to  be 
proclaimed  sovereign  of  Russia. 

But  we  will  now  say  a  few  words  of  the  bene- 
fits conferred  on  his  subjects  by  Peter  I.  He 
travelled  abroad,  to  England  and  elsewhere,  to 
obtain  information  as  to  what  would  best  con- 
duce to  the  improvement  of  his  people.  He 
caused  ingenious  men  from  distant  countries  to 
visit  Russia  and  instruct  its  inhabitants  ;  espe- 
cially, he  hired  workmen  from  England  and 
Holland,  to  construct  ships  ;  and  thus  he  raised 
a  fleet  for  the  service  of  his  kingdom.  He  built 
the  city  of  Petersburgh,  and  made  it  the  capital 
of  Russia :  for,  until  this  time,  Moscow  had 
borne  that  honor.  He  raised  a  fine  army,  with 
which  he  not  only  defended  his  kingdom  from 
invaders,  but  gained  many  splendid  conquests. 
At  the  famous  battle  of  Pultowa,  he  com- 


JAMES    II.    OF    GREAT    BRITAIN.  329 

pletely  defeated  Charles  XII.  of  Sweden.     Of 
this  Charles  you  shall  hear  more  fully  by  and 

by- 

Peter  died  very  suddenly,  not  without  suspi- 
cion that  his  death  was  hastened.  The  artful  con- 
duct of  Catherine,  after  his  demise,  gives  room 
for  suspicion.  Peter  is  related  to  have  observed, 
"  I  can  reform  my  people,  but  I  cannot  reform 
myself."  This  is  considered  a  fine  saying.  I 
do  not  consider  it  as  such ;  I  should  have  called 
it  a  true  saying,  had  it  run  thus,  "  I  will  reform 
my  people,  but  I  will  not  reform  myself."  How 
much  oftener  do  we  want  the  will  rather  than 
the  power  of  self-amendment ! 


CHAPTER  LIX. 

JAMES  "II.    KING    OF    GREAT      BRITAIN. 

JAMES  II.  succeeded  his  brother,  Charles  II. 
But  the  Duke  of  Monmouth  was  the  darling  of 
the  people  ;  and,  being  persecuted  by  the  King, 
and  supported  by  some  of  the  nobles,  he  re- 
solved to  make  an  effort  for  the  crown.  At 
Taunton,  in  Somersetshire,  Monmouth  assumed 
the  title  of  King.  Twenty  young  ladies  pre- 
sented him  with  a  pair  of  colors  of  their  own 
28 


330          JAMES    II.    OF    GREAT    BRITAIN. 

embroidering,  and  numbers  of  men  crowded  to 
his  standard.  The  battle  of  Sedgemoor  decided 
his  fate :  Monmouth's  army  was  routed,  and  he 
fled  for  safety.  By  the  assistance  of  bloodhounds 
(an  inhuman  practice)  the  unfortunate  prince 
was  tracked  and  discovered.  He  was  disguised 
in  the  dress  of  a  peasant ;  and  a  few  peas  were 
found  in  his  pocket,  which  he  had  gathered  in 
the  fields  to  support  his  miserable  existence. 
Overcome  with  fatigue,  anxiety,  and  hunger,  he 
was  too  much  exhausted  to  defend  himself;  and 
he  shed  some  bitter  tears  on  being  thus  made  a 
homeless  captive.  King  James  consented  to  see 
his  nephew,  who,  falling  at  this  monarch's  feet, 
besought  him  for  life  and  pardon :  but  James 
sternly  spurned  the  suppliant.  When  Monmouth 
perceived  his  uncle's  obduracy,  he  sprang  from 
the  ground,  and  assumed  an  air  of  loftiness  : 
from  that  moment,  his  demeanor  was  firm  and 
tranquil;  and,  though  he  was  dreadfully  mangled, 
by  the  agitation  or  want  of  skill  of  his  execu- 
tioner, he  betrayed  no  feebleness  on  the  scaffold. 
The  numerous  executions  which  followed  that 
of  Monmouth  only  show  how  undeserving  James 
was  of  his  crown.  His  Queen,  and  a  Jesuit,  his 
confessor,  encouraged  all  his  cruel  projects.  It 
was  soon  evident  that  the  monarch  desired  to 
restore  the  Roman  Catholic  religion :  but  the 


JAMES    II.    OF    GREAT    BRITAIN.  331 

nation,  which  had  long  tasted  the  happiness  of 
the  Protestant  faith,  was  little  inclined  to  the 
change. 

The  King's  eldest  daughter,  Mary,  was  mar- 
ried to  William  Prince  of  Orange  ;  and  the  Eng- 
lish invited  William  to  rule  over  them.  This 
Prince,  you  may  be  sure,  gladly  accepted  the 
offer,  and  hastened  to  collect  an  army  to  support 
his  partisans.  James,  when  too  late,  saw  his 
mistake :  he  made  some  fruitless  efforts  to  pre- 
serve his  crown,  and,  having  a  son  just  then 
born,  he  more  sanguinely  anticipated  success. 
This  infant  the  Queen  secretly  conveyed  to 
France,  whither  James  himself  soon  followed. 
The  Parliament  assembled,  and  declared  that 
the  King,  by  breaking  his  oath  to  his  subjects, 
as  well  as  by  his  flight,  had  abdicated  the 
throne,  and  that  therefore  it  was  vacant.  Now 
it  is  one  of  the  fundamental  laws  of  our  consti- 
tution, that,  when  the  throne  is  vacant,  the  Par- 
liament has  the  power  of  supplying  the  vacancy 
by  electing  a  new  monarch.  After  some  debates, 
it  was  therefore  determined  that  Mary,  the  eld- 
est daughter  of  the  late  King,  and  her  husband 
William,  should  jointly  reign.  It  seems  difficult 
to  determine  what  could  have  been  better  done 
in  such  an  emergency.  The  only  son  of  James 
was  an  infant,  incapable  of  ruling ;  and  when 


332  CHARLES    XII.    OF    SWEDEN. 

grown  up,  he  would  probably  have  shown  the 
same  disposition  as  his  father. 

This  removal  of  James,  with  the  establish- 
ment of  .a  Protestant  Prince  on  the  British 
throne,  is  known  in  history  as  the  Revolution 
of  1688. 

James  and  his  Queen  lived  many  years  in  re- 
tirement in  France,  educating  their  son,  Charles 
Edward,  in  the  expectation  of  recovering  his 
father's  lost  throne.  Of  this  Charles  Edward 
you  Avill  hear  in  a  later  reign,  by  the  name  of 
the  "  Pretender. 

Butler,  the  author  of  Hudibras  ;  Otway,  the 
poet ;  Corneille,  the  French  dramatist,  died  dur- 
ing the  short  reign  of  our  second  James. 


CHAPTER  LX. 

CHARLES    XII.    OF    SWEDEN. 

CHARLES  XII.  of  Sweden  has  been  denomi- 
nated the  most  extraordinary  man  that,  perhaps, 
has  ever  been  in  the  world.  M.  de  Voltaire, 
who  says  this,  wrote  his  history ;  and  of  all  that 
celebrated  author's  narrative  works  you  will 
probably  deem  his  history  of  Charles  XII.  the 
most  amusing.  To  enjoy  it,  you  must  read  it  in 


CHARLES    XII.    OF    SWEDEN.  333 

French,  since  the  most  skilful  translation  can 
never  do  justice  to  any  original  work. 

Charles  was  born  in  1682 :  at  seven  years 
of  age  he  was  a  good  horseman,  and  gave  proofs 
of  his  martial  disposition  ;  at  fifteen,  he  ascend- 
ed the  throne  of  Sweden  ;  and  at  sixteen,  he 
undertook  his  first  campaign.  The  sovereigns 
of  Russia,  Poland,  and  Denmark,  at  once  attack- 
ed the  dominions  of  the  young  King,  as  perhaps 
deeming  him  incapable  of  opposing  them.  But 
he  soon  taught  them  to  feel  and  to  fear  his  war- 
like energy. 

The  King  of  Denmark  first  felt  the  youthful 
monarch's  prowess  ;  for,  before  the  battle  of 
Narva,  he  had  appeared  with  his  forces  near 
Copenhagen  ;  and  it  was  only  by  the  payment 
of  a  considerable  tribute  that  the  city  was  saved 
from  attack.  Previously  to  his  setting  out  on 
these  expeditions,  he  had  surprised  his  ministers 
by  the  following  address  :  "  I  have  resolved  ne- 
ver to  make  an  unjust  war  ;  and  I  will  never 
finish  a  just  one  except  by  the  destruction  of  my 
enemies.  My  resolution  is  taken."  Happy  had 
it  been  for  Sweden,  had  he  precisely  fulfilled 
what  he  here  proposed  :  but  his  life  was  spent 
in  war  :  and  when  he  had  secured  his  country's 
tranquillity,  he  began  to  look  about  how  he 


834  CHARLES    XII.    OF    SWEDEN. 

should  increase  her  glory  ;  as  if  all  national 
glory  consisted  in  successful  warfare  ! 

At  the  battle  of  Narva,  with  only  eight  thou- 
sand Swedes,  he  totally  defeated  Peter  the 
Great,  Czar  of  Russia,  at  the  head  of  a  hundred 
thousand  men.  In  the  very  commencement  of 
the  battle,  Charles  was  wounded  in  the  left  arm ; 
but  his  ardor  seemed  to  render  him  insensible 
to  the  wound.  Two  horses  having  been  killed 
under  him,  he  sprang  upon  a  third,  saying, 
"  These  men  mean  to  keep  me  in  exercise  !"  and 
continued  to  combat  and  command  with  undimin- 
ished  energy. 

When  an  account  of  this  battle  was  written 
to  be  forwarded  to  Stockholm,  the  King  perused 
it,  and  with  his  own  hand  struck  out  passages 
that  were  too  favorable  to  him,  or  that  were 
disadvantageous  to  the  reputation  of  the  Czar. 
If  this  be  true,  such  conduct  was  more  honorable 
to  Charles  than  even  the  great  victory  which  he 
had  won. 

At  Pultowa,  Peter  I.  was  the  victor,  and 
Charles  retreated  to  Bender,  in  Turkey.  His 
conduct  there  was  most  singular  ;  for,  when  de- 
sired by  the  Turks  to  quit  their  territory,  he  ac- 
tually barricadoed  his  dwelling-house  and  sought 
to  defend  himself  in  it.  After  his  brave  soldiers 
and  attendants  were  almost  all  cut  to  pieces,  and 


CHARLES    XII.    OF    SWEDEN.  335 

Charles,  sword  in  hand,  was  fighting  like  a  mad- 
man, he  was  surrounded  and  taken  prisoner  by 
the  Turks. 

His  return  to  Sweden,  like  all  his  movements, 
was  extraordinary.  He  travelled  in  disguise, 
attended  only  by  a  friend  or  two  ;  and,  when  he 
reached  Stralsund,*  his  feet  were  so  swollen,  by 
his  having  travelled  sixteen  days  without  once 
going  to  bed,  that  his  boots  were  obliged  to  be 
cut  off  from  his  legs.  Yet  the  next  day,  amidst 
the  rejoicings  of  his  subjects,  he  proceeded  to 
transact  public  business,  to  dispatch  orders,  and 
review  his  troops.  That  his  mind,  however, 
was  not  insensible  to  the  benefits  of  peace,  has 
been  conjectured  from  an  anecdote  recorded  by 
Mr.  Coxe,  that  Charles  had  "  planned  for  him- 
self a  life  of  tranquillity  in  his  own  kingdom, 
when  he  would  pay  greater  attention  to  the 
interior  administration  of  affairs,  and  endeavor 
to  promote  the  real  interests  of  his  subjects." 
That  period,  however,  even  were  it  desired, 
never  arrived.  At  the  early  age  of  thirty-six, 
Charles  lost  his  life,  at  Frederickshall  in  Nor- 
way. He  was  killed  by  a  ball,t  whilst  surveying 
the  works  carrying  on  at  the  siege  of  that  place  : 
but  whether  that  ball  came  from  the  Danish 

*  November  21st,  1714. — Voltaire. 

t  On  the  evening  of  the  llth  of  December,  1718. —  Voltaire. 


336  CHARLES    XII.    OF    SWEDEN. 

batteries,  or  from  some  hand  near  him,  is  a 
point  not  yet  settled,  and  which  must  now  re- 
main undetermined.  Sweden,  drained  of  men 
and  money,  could  not  deplore  his  death,  and 
almost  every  state  of  Europe  must  have  desired 
it ;  for,  at  the  time  he  was  killed,  his  head  was 
full  of  martial  projects,  as  wresting  Norway 
from  Denmark,  giving  a  King  to  Poland,  and 
placing  the  Pretender  on  the  throne  of  England. 
Do  you  consider  any  of  these  plans  as  coming 
within  the  description  of  those  just  wars  which 
Charles  proposed  solely  to  prosecute  ?  Would 
they  not  rather  make  him  a  Don  Quixotte  among 
kings,  redressing  their  wrongs,  &c. 

Once,  when  this  warrior  was  dictating  a  letter 
to  his  secretary,  a  bomb  burst  near  the  room  in 
which  the  King  was  seated.  His  secretary  let 
fall  his  pen.  "What  is  .the  matter?"  said 
Charles,  with  a  tranquil  air.  "  Ah  !  Sire,  the 
bomb !"  replied  the  trembling  secretary.  "  Well, 
and  what  has  the  bomb  to  do  with  the  letter  I 
am  dictating  ?"  answered  the  King. 


WILLIAM    AND    MARY. 

CHAPTER  LXI. 

WILLIAM    III.    AND    MARY    II.,  JOINT    SOVEREIGNS 
OF    GREAT    BRITAIN. 

WILLIAM  III.  seemed  more  fitted  to  be  a 
general  than  a  King ;  yet,  though  often  unfor- 
tunate in  his  military  operations,  he  was  never 
daunted  by  disasters  and  disappointments. 

After  being  acknowledged  King  of  England, 
he  hastened  to  Ireland,  to  oppose  the  plans  of 
James,  who,  with  an  army  from  France,  was 
attacking  and  oppressing  the  Irish  Protestants. 
The  siege  of  Londonderry  is  replete  with  in- 
teresting circumstances.  James  in  vain  at- 
tempted to  take  this  town :  the  small  garrison, 
under  the  command  of  Mr.  Walker,  a  Protestant 
clergyman,  made  a  .vigorous  resistance.  The 
inhabitants  endured  every  species  of  want ;  shut 
up  within  the  walls  of  a  small  town  ;  an  enemy's 
army  surrounding  them,  so  that  no  provisions 
could  reach  them  from  the  adjacent  country, 
they  had  no  hopes  of  relief  but  what  the  passage 
of  the  river  allowed.  Some  vessels,  in  attempt- 
ing to  sail  to  Londonderry,  were  stopped  by  the 
batteries  and  the  contrivances  of  the  enemy. 
All  hope  seemed  now  lost :  the  suffering  inhab- 
itants had  eaten  all  that  it  was  possible  to  eat. 
2c  29 


838  WILLIAM    AND    MARY. 

Proper  food  had  long  been  consumed;  dogs, 
horses,  and  other  loathsome  flesh,  had  been  de- 
voured: the  lingering  and  exquisitely  painful 
death  by  hunger  stared  them  in  the  face.  At 
length,  overcoming  every  obstacle,  some  small 
vessels  reached  the  town,  and  cheered  the  faint- 
ing inhabitants  with  wholesome  food.  All  now 
was  joy  and  thankfulness,  and  the  enemy  retired 
from  this  invincible  little  town. 

William,  with  his  favorite  general,  the  Duke 
of  Schomberg,  hastened  to  the  relief  of  his  op- 
pressed and  harassed  subjects.  At  the  battle 
of  the  Boyne,  James  was  defeated  ;  but  Schom- 
berg was  killed  by  a  discharge  from  his  own 
troops,  having  unwisely  hurried  forward  into 
the  midst  of  the  enemy.  This  ardent  old  soldier 
was  eighty-two  when  he  died,  and  is  said  to 
have  been  present  at  as  many  battles  as  he  was 
years  old. 

Though  James  quitted  Ireland  on  this  dis- 
comfiture, his  partisans  continued  to  support 
his  cause. 

A  naval  engagement,  near  La  Hogue,  on  the 
coast  of  France,  more  firmly  established  Wil- 
liam, and  still  farther  shook  the  pretensions  of 
James.  The  French  fleet  was  almost  completely 
destroyed  by  the  English,  and  the  Jacobites 
(the  friends  of  James)  lost  much  of  their  ardor 


WILLIAM    AND    MARY.  339 

in  his  cause.  The  Queen  (Mary)  died  of  the 
small-pox,  and  left  King  William  to  rule  alone. 
He  continued  his  martial  enterprises,  as  if  more 
solicitous  to  obtain  consequence  in  Europe,  than 
to  confer  benefits  on  England.  At  last,  he  was 
thrown  from  his  horse,  and  so  much  hurt,  that, 
being  of  a  delicate  constitution,  he  did  not  long 
survive  the  accident.  He  died  at  Kensington, 
in  the  fifty-second  year  of  his  age,  and  the 
thirteenth  of  his  reign. 

About  the  same  time  died  John  Dryden,  the 
celebrated  poet ;  as  also  the  unfortunate  rival 
of  William,  James  II.  It  was  at  this  period 
that  the  famous  Prince  Eugene  of  Savoy  flour- 
ished. He  was  the  son  of  the  Count  of  Soissons  ; 
and,  being  offended  by  Louis  XIV.,  he  left 
France,  vowing  vengeance  against  its  sovereign. 

He  first  served  under  the  Emperor  of  Ger- 
many against  the  Turks,  and  from  that  time 
took  a  distinguished  part  in  all  the  wars  that 
occurred  in  Europe.  You  will  hear  of  him,  by 
and  by,  as  the  friend  of  the  great  Duke  of  Marl- 
borough. 

Whenever  an  interval  of  peace  intervened, 
Eugene  devoted  himself  to  the  elegant  arts  and 
studies.  He  was  wont  to  say,  that  if  the  min- 
isters of  a  country  knew,  as  well  as  he  did,  all 
the  miseries  inflicted  by  war,  they  would  be  very 


340  PHILIP    V.    KING    OF    SPAIN. 

cautious  how  they  plunged  their  country  into 
one.  For  himself,  he  spent  the  last  days  of  his 
life  in  complete  seclusion,  amusing  himself  with 
the  society  of  young  people,  comforting  himself 
with  the  conversation  of  friends,  and  improving 
himself  hy  a  close  attention  to  his  religious  du- 
ties. He  often  exclaimed,  "  I  have  heen  happy 
in  this  life,  and  hope  to  be  happy  in  the  life  to 
come.  I  have  led  the  life  of  a  soldier ;  but  I 
wish  my  death  to  be  that  of  a  Christian." 


tfj.  CHAPTER  LXII. 

PHILIP    V.    KINO    OF    SPAIN. 

You  remember  Charles  V.,  Emperor  of  Ger- 
many and  King  of  Spain,  grandson  of  Ferdi- 
nand and  Isabella  ?  Charles  was  the  first  prince 
of  the  House  of  Austria  that  possessed  the 
crown  of  Spain,  and  his  descendants  inherited 
it  until  1700,  when  Charles  II.  of  Spain  died 
without  issue. 

The  brother  of  Charles  V.,  Ferdinand,  you 
may  recollect,  became  Emperor  of  Germany ; 
and  when  Spain  wanted  a  King,  this  branch  of 
the  House  of  Austria  desired  to  give  it  one. 

Louis  XIV.,  of  Bourbon,   the  enterprising 


PHILIP    V.    KING    OF    SPAIN.  341 

King  of  France,  put  in  his  claim  for  the  Spanish 
crown,  as  being  descended,  on  the  mother's  side, 
from  Philip  III.,  who  was  his  grandfather. 

William  III.  of  England,  ever  desirous  of  cur- 
tailing the  power  of  Louis,  opposed  his  claim. 
But,  after  many  contests  and  some  deliberation, 
Charles  II.  of  Spain  was  persuaded  to  bequeath 
his  crown  to  the  House  of  Bourbon,  and  to  nom- 
inate the  grandson  of  Louis  as  his  heir.  This 
prince  was  therefore  proclaimed  King  of  Spain 
by  the  title  of  Philip  V.  ;  and  his  grandfather, 
Louis,  managed  to  have  his  title  acknowledged 
by  most  of  the  states  of  Europe. 

Louis  was  riot  equally  successful  in  all  his 
undertakings  ;  for,  before  his  death,  he  found 
himself  stripped  of  all  those  conquests  on 
which  he  had  expended  so  much  blood  and  treas- 
ure :  and,  that  France  and  Spain  might  not  be 
united,  it  was  decreed  that  the  younger  brother 
of  Philip  should  ascend  the  throne  of  his  grand- 
father. 

This  period  was  adorned  by  many  illustrious 
sovereigns  ;  as  Louis  XIV.  of  France  ;  Peter 
the  Great  of  Muscovy  ;  Charles  XII.  of  Swe- 
den ;  William  III.  of  England. 

In  India,  a  successful  conqueror  held  the  Mo- 
gul sceptre.  Aureng-Zebe  the  Great,  acknow- 
ledged by  all  writers  to  have  been  a  valiant  and 


342    CONQUEST  OP  CHINA  BY  THE  TARTARS. 

skilful  general,  is  depicted  by  some  to  have  been 
virtuous,  by  others  to  have  been  cruel  and  tyran- 
nical in  peace.  In  Hindoostan  he  is  venerated 
as  the  founder  and  legislator  of  that  vast  em- 
pire ;  the  government  of  which,  however,  he  ob- 
tained by  the  dethronement  and  murder  of  his 
brothers.  It  is  also  recorded,  that  he  benevo- 
lently declared,  "  that  the  food  was  bitter  which 
was  drawn  from  the  sweat  of  his  subjects." 
Thus  good  and  bad  seemed  to  have  been  mingled 
in  the  disposition  of  Aureng-Zebe. 

About  1640,  the  Tartars  made  a  formidable 
invasion  of  China,  and,  after  a  severe  conflict, 
succeeded  in  obtaining  possession  of  that  exten- 
sive empire.  Shee-tsong,  a  Tartar  prince,  as- 
cended the  throne  ;  and,  from  that  period  to  the 
present,  the  crown  of  China  has  been  possessed  by 
his  descendants.  Shee-tsong  was  a  meritorious 
monarch  ;  he  patronized  learning,  and  was  friend- 
ly to  the  Jesuits,  who  resided  in  China  under 
pretence  of  propagating  the  Christian  religion, 
but  in  fact  to  disseminate  their  own  most  un- 
christian principles,  and  spread  the  influence  of 
their  own  sect. 

Shee-tsong,  the  Tartar,  conducted  himself 
with  much  wisdom  toward  his  conquered  sub- 
jects. He  humored  their  national  prejudices  by 
adopting  their  dress,  language,  and  manners, 


ANNE,    QUEEN    OP    GREAT    BRITAIN.      343 

and  in  no  material  point  changed  their  customs 
and  laws.  Instead,  however,  of  shutting  him- 
self up  in  his  palace,  according  to  the  custom 
of  former  emperors,  Shee-tsong  often  showed 
himself  to  his  people,  and  allowed  them  to  have 
free  access  to  his  presence  :  an  invaluable  priv- 
ilege in  an  absolute  monarchy,  such  as  that  of 
China. 


CHAPTER  LXIII. 

ANNE,    QUEEN    OF    GREAT    BRITAIN. 

ON  the  death  of  William,  Anne,  the  youngest 
daughter  of  James  II.,  ascended  the  English 
throne.  Her  mother  was  daughter  of  the  Earl 
of  Clarendon,  the  first  wife  of  James.  Anne 
was  married  to  Prince  George  of  Denmark. 

I  cannot  give  you  the  history  of  Anne,  with- 
out making  you  acquainted  with  her  renowned 
general,  the  Duke  of  Marlborough. 

John  Churchill,  the  son  of  a  baronet,  was  early 
introduced  at  court ;  and  in  the  reign  of  Charles 
II.,  accompanied  the  Duke  of  York  (afterward 
James  II.)  in  the  capacity  of  page.  He  married 
a  Miss  Sarah  Jennings,  one  of  the  maids  of 
honor  to  the  Princess  Anne ;  and,  as  his  wife 


844  ANNE. 

was  a  great  favorite  with  her  royal  mistress, 
when  Anne  became  Queen,  she  preserved  a  con- 
siderable influence  at  court ;  and  through  her 
intrigues  her  husband  obtained  great  power  and 
rank. 

In  process  of  time  he  was  made  Duke  of  Marl- 
borough,  and  entrusted  with  the  command  of  the 
armies  of  England.  His  talents  and  bravery 
richly  deserved  every  recompense. 

England,  Germany,  and  Holland  declared  war 
against  France,  and  Marlborough  was  appointed 
generalissimo  of  the  allied  forces.  At  the  bat- 
tle of  Blenheim,*  Marlborough  and  Prince  Eu- 
gene gained  a  signal  victory  over  the  French, 
under  the  command  of  Tallard ;  and  it  was  on 
occasion  of  this  victory  that  a  noble  estate  at 
Woodstock,  near  Oxford,  was  given  to  Marl- 
borough,  and  a  magnificent  palace  built  upon  it 
for  his  residence,  called  Blenheim  House. 

Another  less  splendid  but  more  important  con- 
quest marked  the  same  era.  In  the  narrow 
western  entrance  into  the  Mediterranean  Sea, 
formerly  called  the  Pillars  of  Hercules,  stand 
two  fortified  towns.  The  one  on  the  north  coast, 
Gibraltar,  then  belonged  to  the  Spaniards. 
Look  on  the  map ;  you  will  quickly  perceive 

*  It  is  sometimes  called  the  battle  of  Hochstet,  as  occur- 
ring equally  near  to  that  village. 


ANNE.  345 

how  advantageous  the  possession  of  such  a  place 
must  be.  By  the  skilful  manoeuvring  of  Sir 
George  Rooke,  the  English  became  masters  of  it 
in  1703,  the  year  before  the  battle  of  Blenheim, 
and  have  kept  it  in  their  hands  ever  since  ;  not, 
indeed,  without  many  struggles  with  the  Span- 
iards. 

The  Earl  of  Peterborough  now  performed  an 
action  more  honorable  to  the  English  name  than 
the  most  splendid  conquest  achieved  by  her 
most  eminent  generals.  Anne  assisted  Charles, 
son  of  the  Emperor,  with  some  troops,  to  estab- 
lish himself,  if  possible,  in  Spain  ;  and  the  Earl 
of  Peterborough  was  appointed  general  of  these 
troops.  At  the  siege  of  Barcelona,  when  that 
city  capitulated,  the  Earl  entered  the  walls  to 
sign  the  articles  of  surrender.  While  doing  so, 
a  loud  cry  was  heard,  and  the  Governor  of  Bar- 
celona called  out,  "  My  lord,  you  have  betrayed 
us  ;  your  English  are  pillaging  our  city."  "  It 
cannot  be,"  replied  the  Earl — "my  English 
know  better  :  it  must  be  our  allies,  the  Germans. 
Let  me  bring  in  my  troops,  and  I  will  quickly 
appease  the  clamor."  Though  these  words  were 
spoken  by  a  man  of  a  mean  and  deformed  figure, 
the  tone  of  sincerity  with  which  they  were  ut- 
tered was  most  imposing.  The  Governor  acceded 
to  his  extraordinary  request.  The  Earl,  as  he 


346  ANNE. 

had  predicted,  found  that  the  allies  had  perfi- 
diously entered  the  city  ;  but  he  drove  them 
from  the  place,  compelled  them  to  restore  their 
booty,  and  then  quietly  returned  and  signed  the 
capitulation. 

A  regular  and  solemn  union  of  the  kingdoms 
of  Scotland  and  England  was  now  effected.  The 
treaty  was  signed  by  the  principal  nobility  of 
both  nations,  and  is  still  preserved  and  shown 
to  the  curious  in  the  Register  Office  in  Edin- 
burgh. The  prosperity  of  both  countries  has 
been  much  increased  by  the  fulfilment  of  this 
treaty. 

Marlborough,  after  all  his  successes,  was 
doomed  to  be  disgraced.  Mrs.  Masham,  a  re- 
lation of  the  Duchess,  was  introduced  by  her 
to  the  Queen,  and  soon  gained  so  much  influence 
over  the  mind  of  Anne,  that  she  brought  about 
the  disgrace  of  her  friend  and  kinswoman. 
Whilst  Mrs.  Masham  thus  intrigued,  under  the 
direction  of  Harley,  Lord  Oxford,  this  noble- 
man, one  of  the  Queen's  ministers,  called  to  his 
aid  Henry  St.  John,  the  famous  Lord  Boling- 
broke.  This  junto  shortly  succeeded  in  depriv- 
ing Marlborough  of  the  Queen's  confidence  and 
favor.  Heavy  charges  of  taking  the  public 
money  for  his  own  use  were  brought  against 
him ;  and  as  he  very  unsatisfactorily  explained 


ANNE.  347 

this  imputation  upon  his  honesty,  he  was  re- 
moved from  his  employments.  It  was  during 
this  season  of  degradation,  that  Prince  Eugene, 
meeting  his  old  friend,  generously  threw  him- 
self into  his  arms — too  warm-hearted,  and  too 
noble-minded,  to  allow  a  change  of  fortune  to  in- 
duce a  change  of  feeling  :  thus  giving  an  exam- 
ple worthy  of  universal  imitation;  since  none 
but  the  base  and  the  cowardly  would  recommend 
or  adopt  coldness  and  unkindness  to  the  com- 
panion humbled,  not  by  his  own  failings,  but  by 
the  caprice  of  others. 

During  the  remainder  of  Anne's  reign,  Marl- 
borough  lived  in  retirement,  travelling  on  the 
continent  as  a  private  gentleman,  but  being 
everywhere  received  with  marks  of  respect  and 
honor.  In  the  next  reign  he  was  restored  to  all 
his  dignities,  but  died  shortly  afterward  in  the 
seventy-third  year  of  his  age.  The  influence  of 
the  Duchess  had  declined  more  quickly  than  her 
husband's  ;  and  when,  at  last,  she  visited  the 
Queen,  to  try  to  regain,  if  possible,  her  lost  pow- 
er, Anne  answered  her  supplications  by  repeat- 
ing an  insolent  expression  in  one  of  her  own  let- 
ters to  the  Queen  :  "  You  desired  no  answer, 
and  shall  have  none." 

So  much  for  the  fate  of  intriguing  courtiers  ! 
Who  would  condescend  to  flatter  the  great,  and 


348  ANNE. 

spend  life  in  scheming  for  power,  when  dignity, 
peace  of  mind,  and  truth  must  be  sacrificed  in 
the  pursuit ! 

The  Queen  had  several  children,  hut  not  one 
survived  her ;  and  the  death  of  the  Duke  of 
Gloucester,  a  prince  of  much  promise,  the  last 
survivor  of  her  family,  in  the  fourteenth  year  of 
his  age,  deeply  afflicted  her.  After  a  prosperous 
reign  of  twelve  years,  Anne  expired  in  the  for- 
ty-ninth year  of  her  age,  leaving  her  name  to  be 
recorded  in  history  by  the  honorable  title  of 
"  Good  Queen  Anne."  In  her  ended  the  line 
of  the  Stuarts. 

John  Locke,  the  celebrated  metaphysical  wri- 
ter, died  in  this  reign.  Metaphysics,  or  the 
science  of  the  mind,  is  a  study  highly  improv- 
ing ;  and  Mr.  Locke  first  established  its  princi- 
ples. When  you  are  old  enough,  you  must  read 
his  work  on  the  subject.  Since  our  actions  arise 
from  our  thoughts,  must  it  not  be  very  useful, 
nay,  very  necessary,  that  we  should  learn  to 
think  clearly  and  justly  ?  Mr.  Locke's  treatise 
will  teach  you  to  think. 


EAST    INDIES.  349 


CHAPTER  LXIV. 

EAST    INDIES. 

AFTER  the  Portuguese  had  doubled  the  Cape 
of  Good  Hqpe,  they  proceeded  in  their  ventur- 
ous voyage,  until  they  reached  the  coast  of  Mal- 
abar, and  landed  at  Calicut,  the  22d  of  May, 
1498.  At  that  period,  many  native  princes 
governed  in  Hindoostan.  Vasco  de  Gama,  the 
Portuguese  navigator,  attempted  to  conclude  a 
commercial  treaty  with  some  of  these  princes  ; 
and,  though  he  failed,  the  Portuguese  com- 
mander who  followed  him  succeeded. 

Goa  was  taken  by  Albuquerque.  Some  de- 
gree of  injustice  must  always  attach  to  the  in- 
vasion and  subjugation  of  a  country  over  which 
no  right  of  conquest  could  be  possessed ;  yet 
the  European  settlers  in  Asia  did  not  disgrace 
themselves  and  their  country  as  those  in  Amer- 
ica had  done.  Portugal  soon  obtained  extensive 
dominions  in  India ;  and  the  island  of  Bombay 
was  given  to  the  second  Charles  of  England,  as 
part  of  the  dowry  of  his  wife  Catherine,  Infanta 
of  Portugal. 

The  Dutch  followed  the  path  opened  by  the 
2o 


350          EUROPEAN    COLONIES    IN    INDIA. 

Portuguese,  and  hastened  to  send  colonies  to 
India. 

The  English,  in  the  reign  of  Elizabeth,  also 
adventured  thither ;  and  the  Queen,  as  I  have 
told  you,  granted  permission  to  a  company  of 
merchants  to  trade  thither.  Pepper  and  spices 
were  the  first  objects  of  commerce  ;  afterward, 
silks,  cotton,  coffee,  rice,  sugar,  and  tea  became 
articles  eagerly  sought  for.  The  Mogul  Em- 
peror resided  at  Delhi,  and  permitted  the  es- 
tablishment of  a  factory  at  Surat.  Other  set- 
tlements were  made  on  the  other  side  of  the 
peninsula  of  India,  at  Madras  and  Bengal. 

Long  after  the  Portuguese,  Dutch,  and  Eng- 
lish had  settled  in  India,  the  French  turned 
their  speculations  to  that  quarter,  and,  by 
treaty  or  force  of  arms,  gradually  obtained  a 
footing  there 

Thus  a  regular  commerce  was  established 
between  the  different  states  of  Europe  and  their 
several  colonies  in  the  East  Indies.  Troops 
were  sent  over  to  defend  the  settlements,  or  to 
acquire  new  territories  ;  the  native  princes  were 
subdued  by  arms,  or  bound  by  treaties  to  respect 
the  European  colonies.  Towns  and  cities  were 
built,  and  laws  and  governments  arranged. 

In  the  island  of  Amboyna,  one  of  the  Moluc- 


DUTCH    CRUELTIES.  351 

cas,  a  dreadful  butchery  was  perpetrated  by 
the  Dutch  during  the  reign  of  the  first  James. 
The  Portuguese  had  been  expelled  by  the 
Dutch  from  this  island  ;  and  the  English  had 
settled  there,  under  the  protection  of  the  Dutch 
government.  Some  disagreement  arose  between 
these  two  people,  and  they  were  referred  to  be 
adjusted  by  their  respective  East-India  Com- 
panies. But  the  Dutch  would  not  wait  the  slow 
awards  of  justice  ;  they  chose  to  tarnish  their 
name  for  ever  by  an  unparalleled  act  of  treach- 
ery and  barbarity.  Under  the  pretext  that  the 
English  were  conspiring  against  them,  they 
broke  through  every  law  of  humanity,  violated 
the  promise  of  protection  given,  and  at  once 
seized  all  the  English  as  so  many  criminals  : 
nor  did  their  shameless  perfidy  stop  here.  They 
put  to  death  the  prisoners  collected,  with  the 
most  exquisite  torture  ;  and,  though  .not  one 
proof  could  be  found  of  the  pretended  plot,  all 
the  English  on  the  island  were  butchered  in  the 
most  barbarous  manner. 

Are  we  speaking  of  Christians  ?  Alas  !  that 
so  pure  and  merciful  a  creed  should  be  sullied 
by  the  deeds  of  its  professors  ! 

After  the  death  of  Aureng-Zebe,  the  Mogul 
Emperor,  the  settlement  of  Bengal  made  favor- 
able arrangements  with  the  court  of  Delhi. 


852  GEORGE    I. 

But,  surrounded  as  were  the  Eastern  colonies  of 
Great  Britain  with  Asiatic  and  European  forces, 
war,  in  one  quarter  or  another,  was  always  harass- 
ing them.  The  chief  presidencies,  Madras,  Bom- 
bay, and  Bengal,  were,  and  are,  the  seats  of  gov- 
ernment and  judicature.  After  a  voyage  of  many 
weeks — it  may  be,  of  many  months — it  must  be 
very  interesting  to  find,  on  a  distant  shore,  towns 
inhabited  by  our  countrymen,  and  customs,  as 
far  as  climate  will  admit,  similar  to  our  own. 
The  mixture  of  the  dark  natives  ;  their  peculiar 
buildings,  and  as  peculiar  dress  and  manners  ; 
with  the  different  trees  and  plants  that  enrich 
their  soil,  must  give  strong  interest  to  a  first 
view  of  the  town  and  country  scenes  of  India ; 
and  Europeans  ought  graciously  to  contemplate 
a  country  from  which  they  have  long  drawn 
wealth  and  luxuries,  and  "a  people  with  whom  it 
is  their  own  fault  if  they  do  not  live  in  peace 
and  confidence. 


CHAPTER  LXV. 

GEORGE  I.  KING  OF  GREAT  BRITAIN. 

IN  the  reign  of  William,  an  act  of  parliament 
had  been  passed,   that  the  Princess   Sophia, 


GEORGE    I.    OF    GREAT    BRITAIN.          353 

Duchess  Dowager  of  Hanover,  and  her  heirs, 
should  be  next  in  succession  to  Anne.  Sophia 
was  the  granddaughter  of  James  I.,  and  had 
married  the  Elector  of  Hanover,*  George  Louis. 
Her  son,  therefore,  ascended  the  throne  of 
Britain  on  the  death  of  Queen  Anne. 

George  I.  landed  at  Greenwich,  and  was  re- 
ceived with  distinguished  respect.  Soon  after 
his  arrival,  he  took  occasion  to  say,  "  My  maxim 
is,  never  to  abandon  my  friends,  to  do  justice  to 
all  the  world,  and  to  fear\no  man" — a  wise  sen- 
timent from  any  mouth,  but  singularly  appro- 
priate from  that  of  a  King. 

Charles  Edward,  the  son  of  James  II.  by  his 
second  wife,  had  made  an  attempt  to  obtain  his 
father's  crown  in  the  reign  of  Anne.  In  the 
reign  of  George  I.  he  again  visited  Scotland, 
and  was  solemnly  proclaimed  King  at  Aberdeen. 
A  powerful  party  had  already  collected,  under 
the  command  of  the  Earl  of  Mar,  and  had 
gained  some  advantages.  The  Earl  of  Argyle, 
the  King's  general,  however,  soon  subdued  these 
irregular  troops  ;  and,  the  Pretender  shortly 
after  quitting  Scotland,  the  rebellion  in  that 
country  in  his  favor  was  quickly  extinguished. 

I  will  not  talk  to  you  about  the  various  in- 
trigues of  the  politicians  and  statesmen,  which 

*  He  was  also  Duke  of  Brunswick-Luneburg. — Gibbon. 

30 


354          GEORGE    I.    OF    GREAT    BRITAIN. 

formed  the  prominent  incidents  in  the  reign  of 
George  L,  nor  of  the  trials  of  the  Earl  of  Oxford 
and  the  Duke  of  Ormond.  The  last  time  these 
two  celebrated  personages  met,  the  Earl  ear- 
nestly dissuaded  Ormond  from  quitting  Eng- 
land ;  and  when  he  found  his  entreaties  una- 
vailing, he  bade  farewell  to  his  friend  ;  the 
Duke  saying,  "Farewell,  Oxford,  without  a 
head  ! "  and  the  Earl  replied,  "  Farewell,  Duke, 
without  a  duchy  ! "  The  Duke  of  Ormond  fled 
to  Spain,  where  he  afterward  chiefly  resided. 
The  Earl  of  Oxford,  after  two  years'  imprison- 
ment, was  brought  to  trial ;  but,  no  accusers 
appearing  against  him,  he  was  set  at  liberty. 

That  George  I.  was  a  prince  of  mild  and 
benevolent  principles  the  following  anecdote 
gives  proof.  He  was  once  at  a  masked  ball, 
and  discoursed  with  a  lady  who  did  not  know 
him.  When  they  drank  wine  together,  the  lady 
said,  "  To  the  health  of  the  Pretender  !"  "  With 
all  my  heart,"  replied  the  King  ;  "  I  drink  will- 
ingly to  the  health  of  unfortunate  Princes." 

On  one  of  his  visits  to  Hanover,  he  was  taken 
suddenly  ill  on  the  road  ;  the  day  before,  he  had 
appeared  quite  well,  and  had  eaten  very  heartily 
at  supper.  Whilst  travelling,  the  next  morning, 
he  ordered  his  coach  to  stop,  and  it  was  then 
discovered  by  his  attendants  that  one  of  his 


GEORGE    I.    OF    GREAT    BRITAIN.  355 

hands  lay  motionless.  Everything  was  done  to 
revive  the  King ;  but  he  fainted  in  the  arms  of 
his  servant,  Fabricio,  and  never  spoke  again. 
At  eleven  the  next  morning  he  ceased  to 
breathe,  being  then  in  the  thirteenth  year  of 
his  reign,  and  the  sixty-eighth  of  his  age,  June 
11,1727. 

In  1720,  much  public  distress  was  experienced 
by  the  breaking  up  of  a  society,  called  the 
"  South-Sea  Company."  This  society  originated 
in  some  commercial  project,  and  the  hopes  of  a 
lucrative  settlement  in  South  America.  By  the 
folly  of  some  of  its  directors,  and  the  cunning 
dishonesty  of  others,  immense  sums  of  money, 
lent  by  numerous  persons,  were  unaccountably 
lost,  and  many  respectable  families  and  indi- 
viduals at  once  hurled  from  affluence  to  poverty. 
The  government  did  what  it  could  to  remedy 
these  evils :  but  their  magnitude  and  number 
were  beyond  all  power  of  complete  reparation. 

Many  celebrated  characters  now  adorned  Bri- 
tain. Mr.  Prior,  the  poet,  acted  as  ambassador 
at  Paris  before  and  after  the  accession  of  George 
I.  Mr.  Addison,  the  author  of  that  much  ad- 
mired work,  "  The  Spectator,"  now  flourished. 
He  served  in  Ireland  as  secretary  to  the  profli- 
gate and  -worthless  Earl  of  Wharton.  He  after- 
ward married  Lady  Warwick ;  and,  when  dying, 


356  LOUIS    XV.    OF    FRANCE. 

sent  for  her  son,  the  young  Earl,  to  witness  his 
death.  "  See  how  a  Christian  can  die  !"  was  the 
affecting  address  of  Mr.  Addison  to  his  youthful 
son-in-law.  Soon  after  the  death  of  George  I., 
expired  Sir  Isaac  Newton — perhaps  the  greatest 
philosopher  that  ever  enlightened  the  world. 
In  astronomy,  his  discoveries  were  so  astonish- 
ing, that  he  has  been  likened  to  light  illuminat- 
ing darkness — 

"  Nature  and  Nature's  laws  lay  hid  in  night ; 
God  said,  '  Let  Newton  be !'  and  all  was  light." 


CHAPTER  LXVI. 

LOUIS    XV.    KING    OF    FRANCE. 

Louis  XV.  succeeded  his  grandfather,  Louis 
XIV.,  in  1715,  and  found  the  kingdom  more  in- 
jured than  benefited  by  the  splendid  reign  of 
his  predecessor.  The  people  had  been  drained 
of  their  wealth ;  and  the  want  of  money  was 
sensibly  felt  by  all  ranks.  John  Law,  a  Scots- 
man, had  been  compelled  to  flee  his  country  for 
manslaughter,*  and,  escaping  to  France,  set  his 
wits  to  work  to  obtain  a  subsistence.  He  pro- 
posed a  scheme  for  paying  off  the  national  debt 
*  Having  killed  a  man  in  a  duel. 


LOUIS    XV.    OF    FRANCE.  357 

with  bank-notes,  and  established  a  bank  in  his 
own  name,  which  he  afterward  connected  with 
the  Mississippi  Company.  His  bank  was  taken 
under  the  protection  of  the  government,*  de- 
clared to  be  royal,  and  the  principal  direction 
of  it  was  placed  in  the  hands  of  Law.  This 
scheme,  though  at  first  very  promising,  failed 
ultimately  in  relieving  the  public  necessity ; 
Law  had  again  to  flee  for  safety,  and  the  nation 
remained  more  embarrassed  than  before  the 
adoption  of  his  ill-digested  plan.  After  living 
some  time  in  London,  he  travelled  to  Venice, 
where  he  died  in  want  and  obscurity. 

Cardinal  Fleury  became  minister  at  the  age 
of  seventy-three,  and  ably  fulfilled  his  many  and 
important  duties  until  he  almost  counted  ninety 
years,  preserving  his  intellects  unimpaired ;  a 
striking  instance  of  faculties  vigorous  amidst 
the  decay  of  limbs  and  body. 

The  Pragmatic  Sanction  had  secured  the  pos- 
sessions of  the  House  of  Austria  to  the  female 
as  well  as  male  heirs  of  that  family.  In  Eng- 
land, you  have  seen  Queens  placed  on  the  throne ; 
in  France  and  other  countries,  no  woman  could 
reign ;  the  salique^  or  salic  law  excluding  them 

*  By  the  Duke  of  Orleans. 

t  From  sala  [house] ;  a  law  determining  the  inheritance 
of  property  among  the  Germans. — Montesquieu. 


358  LOUIS    XV.    OF    FRANCE. 

from  the  succession.  This  law  was  derived  from 
the  ancient  Germans.  A  regulation  to  disre- 
gard this  law,  in  favor  of  the  House  of  Austria, 
was  entitled  the  "  Pragmatic  Sanction." 

Charles  VI.,  Emperor  of  Germany,  died  with- 
out male  issue ;  and,  according  to  the  above  re- 
gulation, his  daughter,  Marie  Theresa,  wife  of 
Francis,  Duke  of  Tuscany,  was  heiress  to  his 
dominions.  Many  princes  opposed  her  claim  : 
among  the  rest,  the  brother  Kings  of  Spain  and 
France.  They  collected  a  large  army,  which, 
under  the  command  of  the  famous  Prince  of 
Conti,  forced  a  passage  over  the  Alps,  and 
gained  important  victories. 

War  was  at  the  same  time  declared  against 
England,  although  the  French  navy,  the  only 
means  the  enemy  possessed  of  attacking  that 
sea-girt  isle,  was  in  a  most  despicable  condition  : 
scarcely  one  man-of-war  being  in  a  state  to  put 
to  sea.  Hence  the  English  obtained  many  a  tri- 
umph over  their  neighbors,  and  continued  to 
hold  the  empire  of  the  ocean. 

These  destructive  wars,  added  to  heavy  losses 
in  America  and  the  East  Indies,  concurred  to 
shake  the  grandeur  and  internal  peace  of  France. 
Other  causes  also,  of  a  more  domestic  nature, 
farther  injured  the  national  prosperity.  When 
you  are  old  enough,  you  will  read  the  works  of 


LOUIS    XV.    OF    FRANCE.  359 

some  French  writers  of  that  era,  which  will  suffi- 
ciently convince  you  that  a  country  poisoned  by 
baneful  publications  must  be  in  the  way  to  lose 
all  dignity  and  happiness. 

On  the  5th  January,  1757,  Louis  was  stabbed 
at  Versailles,  in  the  presence  of  his  son  and  his 
courtiers,  and  in  the  midst  of  his  guards.  A 
poor  wretch,  named  Damiens,  had  indulged  a 
melancholy  and  vindictive  disposition  till  he  be- 
came almost  mad.  Hearing  murmurs  from  the 
people  on  all  sides,  he  presumed  that,  by  killing 
the  King,  he  should  strike  at  the  root  of  the 
public  calamity.  Armed  with  a  sharp  knife,  he 
watched  his  opportunity,  and  wounded  his  sov- 
ereign. Louis,  when  he  felt  the  blow,  looked  on 
the  ruffian,  whose  wild  glances  easily  marked 
him,  and  quietly  said,  "  This  is  the  man  ;  seize 
him,  but  do  not  hurt  him." 

The  King  recovered  ;  but  his  lenient  command 
did  not  save  the  wretched  Damiens  from  being 
put  to  death  in  the  most  cruel  manner. 

The  Queen  died  in  1769,  and  Louis  from  that 
time  became  the  slave  of  his  mistresses.  Ma- 
dame Du  Barry  ruled  him  with  unlimited  power. 

In  the  sixty-fourth  year  of  his  age,  the  King 
was  seized  a  second  time  with  the  small-pox. 
The  nature  of  the  disease  not  being  known  in 


360  GEORGE    II. 

time,  lie  was  improperly  treated,  and  expired  in 
the  fifty-ninth  year  of  his  reign,  1774. 

A  celebrated  female  gave  honor  to  this  period. 
Madame  Dacier,  the  admired  translator  of  Ho- 
mer, by  her  profound  knowledge  of  Greek  and 
her  other  shining  accomplishments,  acquired  a 
deathless  fame.  She  died  in  1718,  soon  after 
Louis  had  ascended  the  throne  of  France.  Ver- 
tot,  the  historian,  died  in  1735. 


CHAPTER  LXVII. 

GEORGE    II.    KING    OF     GREAT    BRITAIN. 

GEORGE  I.  had  married  the  Princess  Sophia 
of  Zell ;  they  had  two  children,  George  II.,  and 
the  Queen  of  Prussia,  mother  to  the  great  Frede- 
rick II. 

Of  the  numerous  wars  begun  and  prosecuted 
during  this  reign,  I  need  not  speak ;  you  will 
read  of  them  when  you  can  better  understand 
their  causes  and  their  consequences.  England 
was  alternately  embroiled  with  almost  every 
state  of  Europe,  till,  in  1748,  the  treaty  of  Aix- 
la-Chapelle  gave  peace  to  the  civilized  world. 

The  rebellion  of  Scotland,  as  more  near  and 
more  interesting,  deserves  greater  attention. 


KING    OF    GREAT    BRITAIN.  361 

Charles,  the  young  Pretender,  aided  by  France, 
again  urged  his  pretensions.  Count  Saxe  was 
put  at  the  head  of  the  troops  destined  for  his 
service  ;  and  George  II,.  never  deficient  in  per- 
sonal courage,  resolved  to  fight  in  his  own  cause. 
Charles,  having  landed  in  Scotland,  and  pro- 
claimed his  father  King  of  England,  at  first 
gained  some  advantages,  and  marched  forward 
with  spirit.  But  the  Duke  of  Cumberland,  with 
a  large  and  well-disciplined  army,  quickly  ap- 
peared to  oppose  him.  A  battle  on  the  plains 
of  Culloden,  nine  miles  from  Inverness,  decided 
the  fate  of  the  Pretender.  His  army  was  com- 
pletely routed ;  and  were  I  to  describe  to  you 
his  flight  from  the  field  of  battle,  you  would 
think  I  was  repeating  the  disastrous  narrative 
of  the  second  Charles.  Though  thirty  thousand 
pounds  were  offered  as  a  reward  for  whomsoever 
would  bring  him,  dead  or  alive,  to  the  English 
camp,  not  one  of  fifty  persons  with  whom  he 
trusted  himself  was  base  enough  to  betray  his 
confidence. 

One  day,  exhausted  with  fatigue  and  hunger, 
and  grown  desperate  by  the  severity  of  his  suf- 
ferings, he  entered  a  house,  the  master  of  which 
he  knew  to  be  unfriendly  to  his  cause.  "  The 
son  of  your  King,"  he  exclaimed,  "  comes  to  beg 
a  little  bread  and  a  few  clothes.  I  know  you 
2E  31 


362  GEORGE    II. 

are  against  me ;  but  I  believe  you  to  be  too 
honorable  to  betray  me.  Take  these  rags  ;  when 
I  am  King  of  England,  you  may  restore  them  to 
me."  The  person  so  addressed  showed  himself 
worthy  of  the  confidence  reposed  in  him  :  he  as- 
sisted the  Prince,  and  never  divulged  his  secret. 

After  many  months  spent  in  wandering 
amidst  desolate  wilds,  Charles  Edward  escaped 
to  France,  and  never  again  troubled  the  repose 
of  Britain.  He  resided  on  the  Continent  the 
rest  of  his  life,  and,  in  a  humble  rank',  perhaps 
enjoyed  more  true  satisfaction  than  a  throne 
could  have  bestowed.  His  principal  adherents 
were  tried  and  executed  as  rebels,  and  tran- 
quillity was  restored  to  the  whole  island,  1746. 

It  had  been  long  known,  that,  by  an  inaccu- 
rate calculation  of  time,  the  months  of  the  year 
did  not  fall  in  that  exact  part  of  the  sun's  course 
which  they  ought  to  do.  In  1582,  Pope  Gregory 
had  rectified  this  increasing  error ;  and,  by  mak- 
ing the  5th  of  October  to  be  reckoned  as  the 
15th,  restored  the  days  of  the  year  to  their 
right  place.  Almost  two  hundred  years  after- 
ward, 1752,  this  "  New  Style,"  as  it  was  called, 
was  introduced  into  Britain  ;  as  before,  several 
days  were  skipped  over,  and  the  3d  of  Septem- 
ber reckoned  as  the  14th ;  the  two  centuries 
that  had  intervened  requiring  the  addition  of 


KING    OF    GREAT    BRITAIN.  363 

another  day  when  the  arrangement  was  made 
with  us.  You  will  thus  be  able  to  form  some 
idea  of  what  is  meant  by  Old  and  New  Style, 
and  the  occurrence  of  the  letters  O.S.  or  N.S. 
added  to  dates. 

The  King  had  several  children.  Frederick, 
Prince  of  Wales,  was  married,  and  had  a  son 
named  George,  the  late  amiable  and  beloved 
George  III.,  who  so  long  swayed  the  British 
sceptre.  The  Prince  of  Wales  and  his  father 
did  not  live  upon  good  terms ;  and,  for  having 
offended  the  King,  Frederick  was  forbidden  to 
appear  in  his  presence.  These  differences  were, 
however,  happily  reconciled ;  for  Frederick  died 
prematurely  :  and  to  have  expired  in  a  state  of 
enmity  with  his  parent  would  have  embittered 
his  last  moments,  and  increased  the  affliction  of 
his  loss  to  his  father. 

In  1744,  Commodore  Anson  completed  a  voy- 
age round  the  world.  He  first  proceeded  to 
America,  and  doubling  Cape  Horn,  stretched 
across  the  Pacific  Ocean  to  China,  and  returned 
by  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope  to  his  native  land. 
Amuse  yourselves  by  tracing  his  voyage  on  a 
globe.  Captain  Cook  afterward,  more  than  once, 
achieved  this  great  undertaking.  You  are  well 
acquainted  with  the  prints  in  Cook's  Voyages  j 


364        GEORGE    II.    OP    GREAT    BRITAIN. 

as  you  grow  older,  you  must  make  yourselves 
as  conversant  with  his  Narrative. 

In  1755,  the  city  of  Lisbon  was  destroyed  by 
an  earthquake.  Can  you  imagine  this  awful 
event  ?  The  earth  opening,  and  swallowing  up 
a  large  and  populous  city  !  The  quay  of  Lisbon, 
newly  built  of  stone,  ran  far  into  the  sea  ;  it  was 
crowded  by  human  beings.  In  one  instant  it 
disappeared,  and  every  creature  on  it  perished. 
It  has  been  calculated  that  sixty  thousand  lives 
were  lost  on  that  fatal  day.  Churches  were 
thrown  down,  and  houses  fell,  as  if  built  of  cards. 
In  the  tremendous  convulsion,  some  edifices 
caught  fire,  and  raging  flames  added  horrors  to 
the  scene.  Be  grateful  that  you  live  in  a 
country  very  seldom  and  very  slightly  affected 
by  these  dreadful  operations  of  nature. 

The  last  great  event  that  distinguished  the 
reign  of  George  II.,  was  the  taking  of  Quebec. 
General  Wolfe,  in  the  prime  of  life,  achieved 
that  splendid  conquest.  Quebec,  a  fortified  town 
of  Canada,  in  North  America,  was  the  capital 
of  the  French  dominions  in  the  New  World.  M. 
De  Montcalm,  a  brave  officer,  relied  too  much  on 
the  inaccessible  situation  of  the  town  he  was 
appointed  to  defend.  When  he  found  the  Eng- 
lish had  gained  an  important  post,  he  hastened 
to  retrieve  his  error,  and  fought  valiantly  amidst 


CELEBRATED    PERSONS.  365 

liis  French  soldiers.  Wolfe  was  shot  in  the 
wrist  in  the  beginning  of  the  engagement ;  hut, 
wrapping  a  handkerchief  about  the  wound,  he 
continued  his  exertions.  A  second  ball  pierced 
his  bosom,  and  he  leaned  on  the  shoulder  of  one 
of  his  men,  still  striving  to  rally.  While  thus 
struggling  in  acute  pain,  he  heard  the  cry, 
"  They  run  !  They  run  !"  "  Who  run  ?"  asked 
the  dying  warrior.  "  The  French  !"  replied  the 
surrounding  soldiers.  "  Then  I  die  happy  !" 
murmured  the  general,  and  expired. 

England,  by  this  victory,  obtained  possession 
of  Canada,  which  has  ever  since  owned  her  sway. 

George  II.  died  rather  suddenly  at  Kensing- 
ton, in  the  thirty-fourth  year  of  his  reign,  and 
seventy-seventh  of  his  life,  1760. 


CHAPTER  LXVIII. 

CELEBRATED    PERSONS   WHO    LIVED    DURING    THE 
REIGN    OF    GEORGE    II. 

So  many  clever  and  excellent  persons  lived 
during  the  reign  of  George  II.  that  I  must  give 
a  chapter  to  the  enumeration  of  them.  Indeed, 
this  period  may  be  called  the  Augustan  Age  of 
England.  The  life  of  Louis  XIV.  is  deemed 


366  CELEBRATED    PERSONS    IN 

the  Augustan  Age  of  France.  Pray,  what  do 
I  mean  by  this  expression  ?  I  hope  you  have 
not  forgotten  Augustus,  Emperor  of  Rome,  and 
that  numerous  learned  and  accomplished  persons 
lived  during  his  reign. 

1729,  died  Sir  Richard  Steele,  who  wrote  the 
Tattler,  and  was  author  of  some  of  the  papers 
of  the  Spectator.  He  was  a  great  friend  and 
admirer  of  Mr.  Addison. 

1732,  died  Mr.  Gay.  His  very  amusing  Fa- 
bles have  often  entertained  you ;  and  if  you  will 
attend  to  the  moral  they  convey,  the  perusal  of 
them  will  equally  instruct  you. 

1741,  died  M.  Rollin,  a  Frenchman,  the  au- 
thor of  "  Ancient  History,"  and  other  excellent 
books  for  young  people.  His  history  is  one  of 
the  most  useful  works  that  you  can  peruse  ; 
and,  though  long,  will  not  weary  you,  if  proper- 
ly read  ;  for  many  parts  are  deeply  interesting, 
and  the  whole  is  full  of  anecdotes  and  stories  of 
the  great,  and  the  learned,  and  the  good,  of  for- 
mer times. 

1744,  died  Mr.  Alexander  Pope,  to  whom 
English  readers  are  highly  indebted  for  a  charm- 
ing translation  of  Homer,  the  ancient  Greek 
poet's  works.  Mr.  Pope  wrote  also  ingenious 
Imitations  of  Horace,  the  Roman  bard,  and 
many  original  poems. 


THE    REIGN    OF    GEORGE    II.  367 

1745,  died  Dr.  Jonathan  Swift ;  he  was  very 
clever  and  very  witty ;  and  you  will  laugh  at 
his  "  Travels  of  Gulliver,"  a  satirical  fable,  de- 
duced from  the  follies  and  vices  of  mankind. 
But,  in  general,  his  works  are  not  calculated  for 
juvenile  readers. 

1748,  died  Mr.  James  Thomson.  His  fine 
poem,  "  The  Seasons,"  is  justly  and  universally 
admired ;  and,  while  it  pleases  the  fancy,  it 
warms  and  elevates  the  heart. 

1748,  died  Dr.  Isaac  Watts.  This  learned 
and  amiable  divine  composed  so  many  works  for 
the  gratification  and  improvement  of  youth  that 
you  must  early  learn  to  respect  his  memory  ;  his 
talents  you  cannot  fail  to  respect.  With  his 
pleasing  little  Hymns  you  are  already  familiar  ; 
and  with  his  longer  and  graver  compositions  I 
trust  you  will  be  acquainted  as  soon  as  you  are 
capable  of  understanding  and  relishing  their 
excellences. 

1754,  died  Mr.  Henry  Fielding.  This  gen- 
tleman wrote  many  plays  ;  among  the  rest,  that 
very  laughable  one  called  "  Tom  Thumb,"  found- 
ed on  the  little  story  of  that  name.  He  also 
published  many  novels,  which,  though  full  of 
wit,  are  not  always  full  of  good  examples  :  his 
heroes  are  not  worthy  to  be  imitated. 

1759,  died  Frederick  Handel,  the  great  musi- 


368  FREDERICK    THE    GREAT, 

sian.  He  was  so  devoted  to  his  favorite  art, 
that,  by  great  application,  he  was  capable,  at 
the  age  of  fourteen,  of  acting  as  the  manager 
of  a  band.  He  composed  a  prodigious  number 
of  pieces ;  and  if  ever  you  hear  his  oratorio  of 
"  The  Messiah"  in  a  full  orchestra,  you  will/ee/ 
what  was  the  extent  of  his  mighty  genius. 

1760,  died  Count  Zinzendorf.  He  was  the 
founder  of  that  quiet  and  unassuming  sect,  the 
"  Moravians,"  or  "  United  Brethren."  Of  these 
Moravians,  and  their  several  retired  stations  in 
England,  Germany,  and  elsewhere,  you  will  of- 
ten hear.  Pray,  observe,  I  have  only  named  a 
few  of  the  most  remarkable  persons  who  died 
during  the  reign  of  George  II. 


CHAPTER  LXIX. 

FREDERICK    THE    GREAT,    KING    OF    PRUSSIA. 

FREDERICK  II.,  King  of  Prussia,  was  the 
son  of  Sophia,  daughter  of  George  I.  of  Eng- 
land. His  father,  Frederick  William  I.,  treated 
him  with  great  severity,  and  seemed  desirous  of 
educating  him  only  for  a  military  character. 
But  young  Frederick  took  all  opportunities  of 
improving  his  mind,  and  acquiring  the  various 


KING    OP    PRUSSIA.  869 

elegant  accomplishments.  He  once  attempted 
to  escape  from  Prussia  and  to  travel  into  for- 
eign countries  ;  but  he  was  arrested,  and  pun- 
ished by  six  months'  imprisonment  in  a  dungeon. 
His  juvenile  friend  and  travelling  companion, 
Lieutenant  Catt,  was  more  rigorously  treated ; 
he  was  beheaded,  and  the  young  prince  was  com- 
pelled to  behold  the  execution  of  the  amiable 
young  man,  who  thus  suffered  in  his  cause. 

When  Frederick  was  released  from  confine- 
ment, he  retired  to  a  secluded  castle,  where  he 
employed  his  time  in  literary  pursuits,  and  was 
visited  by  men  of  taste  and  genius.  When  his  - 
father  died,  he  ascended  the  throne  of  Prussia, 
assiduously  devoted  himself  to  public  business, 
and  with  especial  care  superintended  the  mili- 
tary department.  He  engaged  in  several  wars, 
and  made  his  name  feared  by  his  neighbors. 
When  a  season  of  peace  intervened,  he  occupied 
himself  with  writing  and  publishing  books; 
thus  giving  evidence  of  the  variety  and  excel- 
lence of  his  mental  powers. 

He  persuaded  the  celebrated  Frenchman,  M. 
De  Voltaire,  to  reside  at  his  court ;  but  these 
eccentric  personages  were  not  likely  long  to 
agree.  The  King  was  in  the  habit  of  sending 
his  writings  for  the  Frenchman  to  correct  and 
prepare  for  printing.  One  day,  when  some 


370  FREDERICK   THE   GREAT, 

papers  arrived  from  Frederick,  Voltaire  excused 
himself  from  obliging  a  friend,  who  had  asked  a 
similar  favor,  by  saying,  "I  cannot  look  over 
your  work  ;  for,  see  !  the  King  has  sent  me  his 
dirty  linen  to  clean."  This  sarcasm  was  re- 
peated to  the  King,  and,  it  is  said,  was  never 
forgiven  by  him.  These  two  philosophers  part- 
ed ;  Voltaire  hastily  quitted  Berlin,  the  capital 
of  Prussia,  and  Frederick  made  him  suffer  for 
his  provoking  jest. 

This  monarch  effected  so  much  in  the  course 
of  twenty-four  hours  that  you  may  be  sure  he 
"carefully  regulated  his  time.  "Every  hour 
brought  its  appointed  occupation."  He  rose  at 
five — sometimes  before ;  for  he  too  well  knew 
the  value  of  morning  hours  to  lose  many  of  them 
in  sleep  or  idle  wakings.  He  allowed  himself 
two  minutes  to  dress  his  own  hair  ;  he  gave  one 
hour  to  his  dinner,  and  filled  up  almost  every 
other  till  midnight  in  some  useful  or  improving 
employment.  He  dressed  very  plainly,  was 
fond  of  music,  but  shunned  the  society  of  fe- 
males. Even  at  the  age  of  seventy-four,  when 
disease  had  shaken  his  frame,  he  pursued  nearly 
the  same  system  of  attention  to  public  business 
and  self-improvement.  When  his  disorder  be- 
came very  painful  and  oppressive,  so  that  he 
could  not  lie  down  on  his  bed,  he  persisted  in 


KING    OF    PRUSSIA.  371 

his  plans,  was  cheerful  and  uncomplaining,  and 
listened  to  his  attendants  while  they  read  to 
him  works  of  celebrity.  Whilst  his  friends  were 
reading  to  him  from  Cicero  and  Plutarch,  he 
fainted,  and  expired  the  following  morning, 
August  17,  1786,  aged  seventy-five. 

You  have  here  the  pleasing  side  of  Frede- 
rick's picture  : — let  us  look  at  the  reverse. 
Frederick  was  one  of  the  potentates  who,  in 
•1772,  dismembered  Poland.  What  should  we 
say  to  three  clowns,  who,  after  seizing  our  gar- 
den, should  divide  it  among  themselves,  and 
each  call  the  appropriated  portion  his  own  ?  I 
suppose,  we  should  at  once  name  such  persons 
robbers.  The  greater  the  theft,  the  greater 
the  crime.  Three  powerful  monarchs,  of  Rus- 
sia, Prussia,  and  Austria,  seized  upon  Poland, 
sent  away  its  King,  and  shared  that  kingdom 
among  themselves.  What  was  this  but  rob- 
bery ? 

Some  day  you  may,  perhaps,  read  the  adven- 
tures of  Baron  Trenck  :  he  was  beloved  by  the 
Princess  Amelia,  Frederick's  sister ;  and  for 
presuming  to  return  the  love  of  so  elevated  a 
personage,  Trenck  was  cruelly  persecuted  by 
the  King.  His  sufferings  were,  indeed,  almost 
unparalleled,  and  you  will  admire  his  unbroken 
spirit  of  endurance.  Frederick  is  also  accused 


372  FREDERICK    THE    GREAT. 

of  ingratitude  to  the  family  of  poor  Lieutenant 
Catt,  whose  death  his  imprudence  certainly 
caused ;  but,  worse  than  all,  he  is  accused  of 
impiety.  For  fools  to  be  impious  is  not  won- 
derful, for  they  know  no  better ;  but  for  wise 
men  to  be  impious  is  most  strange. 

Catherine  II.  was  the  Empress  of  Russia  who 
assisted  Frederick  of  Prussia  and  Joseph  II., 
Emperor  of  Germany,  in  dismembering  Poland. 
She  has  been  much  extolled  as  a  patron  of 
learning  and  a  beneficial  sovereign  to  Russia  ; 
but,  I  think,  you  will  consider  her  character  as 
deeply  stained  with  crime.  Not  to  say  any- 
thing of  her  share  in  the  above-named  most 
unjust  and  disgraceful  transaction,  she  obtained 
her  crown  by  intrigue,  and,  if  report  speaks 
true,  by  the  murder  of  her  husband,  the  weak 
and  unfortunate  Peter  III.  But,  in  the  cata- 
logue of  her  faults,  not  one  is  more  painfully 
conspicuous  than  her  cruel  execution  of  Prince 
Ivan.  This  youthful  sufferer  could  be  charged 
with  no  other  crime  than  that  of  having  been 
chosen  heir,  and  proclaimed  Emperor  of  Russia. 

Catherine  L,  the  wife,  Peter  II.,  the  grand- 
son* and  Anne,  the  niece  of  Peter  L,  the  Great, 
successively  ascended  his  throne.  The  Empress 

*  The  son  of  the  unfortunate  Alexis,  who  was  killed  by 
order  of  his  father,  Peter  the  Great. 


SUCCESSORS  OF   PETER   THE    GREAT.    373 

Anne,  in  her  will,  bequeathed  the  crown  of  Rus- 
sia to  Ivan,  the  infant  son  of  her  niece,  the 
Duchess  of  Brunswick-Lunehurgh. 

But  Elizabeth,  the  younger  daughter  of  Peter 
the  Great,  contrived  to  have  Ivan  III.  deposed, 
and  herself  proclaimed  Empress.  Ivan  was 
then  an  infant,  and  was  carried  from  his  cradle 
to  Elizabeth,  who  took  him  into  her  arms.  At 
that  moment,  loud  shouts  were  heard  from  the 
populace,  hailing  the  new  Empress.  The  inno- 
cent child  smiled  at  the  noise  ;  Elizabeth  was 
touched  by  his  unconscious  gaiety,  and  exclaim- 
ed, "  Poor  child  !  you  do  not  know  that  those 
shouts  announce  your  loss  of  a  crown !"  How- 
ever, to  secure  her  own  power  and  safety,  she  put 
the  child  into  a  strong  fortress,  where  he  remain- 
ed imprisoned  upward  of  twenty  years,  and  was 
at  last  put  to  death  by  his  guards,  by  order  of 
Catherine  II.,  the  widow  of  Peter  III.  This 
Peter  was  son  of  Anne,  daughter  of  Peter  the 
Great,  and  successor  to  his  aunt,  the  Empress 
Elizabeth. 

Ivan  was  a  beautiful  and  artless  youth. 
When  his  merciless  keepers  entered  his  lone- 
ly dungeon,  he  made  a  brave  resistance,  and  fell 
mangled  with  many  wounds,  in  the  twenty-fourth 
year  of  his  age,  and  the  second  of  Catherine 
II. 's  reign,  1764.  Read  his  tragical  history  in 


374  GEORGE   III. 

"  Oastera's  Life  of  Catherine  II.,"  or  in  "  Coxe's 
Travels  in  Russia." 


CHAPTER  LXX. 

GEORGE     III.    KING     OF     GREAT    BRITAIN. 

WE  are  now  come  to  the  eventful  reign  of 
George  III.  He  was  the  son  of  Frederick 
Prince  of  Wales,  and  succeeded  his  grandfather, 
George  II.  the  25th  October,  1760,  being  then 
in  the  twenty-third  year  of  his  age. 

Volumes  would  not  suffice  to  give  you  a  pre- 
cise detail  of  the  several  events  that  distin- 
guished the  long  and  busy  reign  of  this  amiable 
monarch.  Two  or  three  of  the  most  prominent 
I  will  slightly  notice  ;  and,  when  you  are  old 
enough,  you  must  read  of  the  rest  in  better 
books. 

In  1763,  Mr.  Wilkes,  a  member  of  parlia- 
ment, was  committed  to  the  Tower  for  publish- 
ing a  seditious  paper  in  "  The  North  Briton,"  a 
periodical  work.  You  will  often  hear  of  "  Num- 
ber 45,"  the  number  of  this  paper.  After  vari- 
ous struggles  between  Mr.  Wilkes  and  his  prose- 
cutors, he  was  outlawed,  and  retired  to  Paris. 
After  four  years  of  exile,  he  petitioned  the 


KING    OF    GREAT    BRITAIN.  375 

King  for  leave  to  return  to  England,  and  spent 
the  latter  part  of  his  life  in  his  native  island. 
He  was  of  so  active  a  character,  that  he  used  to 
say,  "  I  have  always  lived  two  days  in  one." 

In  1776,  the  American  colonies  declared 
themselves  an  independent  republic.  After 
the  discovery  of  the  New  World,  all  the  states 
of  Europe  sent  colonies  thither,  and,  by  force 
or  purchase,  obtained  large  tracts  of  land.  The 
English  did  so  at  various  times,  from  the  reign 
of  Elizabeth  ;  and  these  persons,  though  living 
so  far  distant  from  our  country,  were  considered 
as  subjects  of  England,  and  under  the  authority 
of  the  English  government.  By  degrees,  their 
numbers  and  their  consequent  power  greatly 
increased ;  and,  finally,  taking  ofience  at  a  tax 
levied  upon  them  by  the  English  ministry,  they 
declared  themselves  an  independent  republic, 
and  took  up  arms  to  support  their  declaration. 
Troops  from  England  were  immediately  sent 
over  to  quell  this  revolt.  The  struggle  between 
the  mother-country  and  her  colonies  continued 
long,  and  was  attended  with  various  success. 
At  length,  in  1783,  the  independence  of  America 
was  formally  acknowledged  by  England  and  the 
other  states  of  Europe  ;  and  from  that  time  the 
United  States  have  been  governed  by  their  own 
laws  and  their  own  congress.  This  arrange- 


376  GEORGE   III. 

ment  had  been  opposed,  because  it  was  deemed 
injurious  to  the  prosperity  of  Britain  ;  but  since 
it  took  place,  it  has  been  thought  beneficial  to 
the  mother-country,  because  America  caused 
more  expense  than  it  repaid. 

In  1782,  the  celebrated  William  Pitt,  second 
son  of  the  Earl  of  Chatham,  was  appointed 
Chancellor  of  the  Exchequer.  When  I  inform 
you  that  this  extraordinary  young  man  was 
only  in  the  twenty-fourth  year  of  his  age  at 
that  time,  you  will  be  astonished  to  behold  him 
filling  the  office  of  prime-minister  to  a  mighty 
empire.  His  life  was,  indeed,  one  splendid 
course  of  active  duty ;  and,  if  incomparable 
talents  and  extraordinary  virtue  could  insure 
prosperity,  England  must  have  prospered  under 
the  administration  of  Mr.  Pitt.  But  though  he 
could  make  the  best  of  events,  he  could  not 
govern  them  ;  and,  besides,  his  rivals,  with  more 
love  of  opposition  than  of  justice  or  patriotism, 
continually  obstructed  his  views  and  defeated 
his  plans.  Worn  out  with  exertion  and  repeated 
disappointment,  to  the  irreparable  loss  of  his 
country,  Mr.  Pitt  died,  on  the  23d  of  January, 
1806.  His  last  words  spoke  the  subject  of  his 
thoughts,  and  explained  the  cause  of  his  prema- 
ture decease ;  for  with  a  sigh  he  murmured, 
u  0  !  my  country  !" 


KING    OF    GREAT    BRITAIN.  377 

Mr.  Fox,  the  great  opponent  of  Mr.  Pitt,  and 
remarkable  for  many  shining  talents,  died  the 
same  year.  On  the  floor  of  Westminster  Abbey 
you  will  mark  the  tombstones  of  these  great 
men.  They  lie  close  together ;  and,  after  a 
life  of  warfare,  repose  in  peace,  almost  side  by 
side  ! 

In  1795,  after  a  trial  which  had  lasted  seven 
years,  Mr.  Warren  Hastings  was  acquitted  of 
the  charges  brought  against  him.  He  had  been 
in  high  power  in  the  East  Indies,  and  was  ac- 
cused of  various  crimes  and  misdemeanors.  Of 
all  these  he  was  not  only  declared  innocent,  but 
the  East-India  Company  voted  him  a  handsome 
indemnification  for  the  trouble  and  expense  he 
had  sustained.  How  pure  must  have  been  his 
conduct,  when  it  could  bear  uninjured  the  close 
scrutiny  to  which  it  was  subjected  ! 

In  1806,  the  slave-trade  was  abolished  by  act 
of  parliament.  Mr.  Wilberforce,  a  name  ever 
dear  to  humanity,  was  the  principal  actor  in  the 
benevolent  undertaking  of  abolishing  this  nefa- 
rious trade.  In  1788,  this  intelligent  and  ex- 
cellent man  first  gave  notice  of  his  intention  to 
propose  the  abolition  of  the  slave-trade  ;  and  he 
pledged  himself  never  to  cease  his  efforts  till  he 
had  accomplished  his  object.  Though  all  good 
men  seconded  his  views,  the  desired  act  was  not 
32 


378  GEORGE    III. 

passed  until  1806  ;  when,  to  the  honor  of  Eng- 
land, she  set  the  example  to  all  other  states. 

A  rebellion  in  Ireland  Avas  not  subdued  with- 
out great  waste  of  blood  :  and  the  revolution  in 
France  was  one  of  the  most  sanguinary  events 
that  ever  tarnished  the  page  of  history.  Some 
account  of  the  latter  shall  be  given  in  another 
chapter.  Suffice  it  here  to  say,  that  the  energy 
of  the  British  government  and  the  valor  of  the 
British  troops  assisted  to  give  peace  to  that 
distracted  country. 

Who  has  not  heard — who,  in  ages  yet  unborn, 
will  not  hear — of  Waterloo  ! — of  the  valiant 
soldiers,  and  the  skilful  general,  who,  on  the 
plains  near  that  now  renowned  village,  won  a 
glorious  victory?* — glorious  because  it  gave 
peace  to  all  the  world  ! 


CHAPTER  LXXI. 

LOUIS    XVI.  KING    OF    FRANCE. 

THE  amiable  and  unfortunate  Louis  XVI. 
succeeded  his  grandfather,  Louis  XV.,  in  the 
twentieth  year  of  his  age,  in  1774.  He  married 

*  The  troops  of  the  allies,  under  the  Duke  of  Wellington, 
fought  and  won  the  battle  of  Waterloo,  18th  June,  1815. 


LOUIS  xvi.  379 

the  beautiful  and  accomplished  Marie  Antoi- 
nette, sister  to  the  Emperor  of  Germany. 

You  have  seen  how  much  France  suffered  by 
the  bloody  and  expensive  wars  carried  on  by 
Louis  XIV.  In  the  reign  of  Louis  XV.,  the 
state  of  affairs  became  more  embarrassed,  and  a 
mischievous  philosophy  began  to  pervade  the 
minds  of  men.  At  such  a  crisis,  a  mild  and 
benignant  sovereign,  like  Louis  XVI.,  was  unfit 
to  rule  a  harassed  and  turbulent  people.  Severe 
measures  might  have  recalled  the  nation  to  a 
sense  of  duty  and  propriety ;  but  the  gentle 
nature  of  Louis  XVI.  was  averse  to  severity. 

All  the  'historians  of  those  disastrous  times 
concur  in  pronouncing  Louis  as  more  "  sinned 
against  than  sinning ;"  as  suffering  for  the  faults 
of  others,  rather  than  for  his  own.  It  will  be  im- 
possible for  me  to  give  the  melancholy  detail  of 
the  circumstances  that  led  to  his  undeserved 
and  mournful  fate. 

In  the  first  instance,  under  the  plausible  pre- 
text of  recovering  a  just  degree  of  liberty,  a 
licentious  mob  pulled  down  the  ancient  prison 
called  the  Bastille.*  In  this  strong  building  it 

*  The  prison  of  the  Bastille  was  a  place  where  cruelties 
and  miseries,  almost  too  horrid  to  be  related,  had  been  in- 
flicted upon  those  who  were  so  unfortunate  as  to  be  shut  up 
in  it.  In  the  reign  of  Louis  XV.  many  were  imprisoned  and 


380  LOUIS  xvi. 

had  been  the  custom  for  former  monarchs  and 
governors  to  immure  obnoxious  persons,  some- 
times for  life,  sometimes  when  not  guilty  ;  and 

tortured  there  for  the  most  trifling  offences ;  and,  though 
the  King  himself  was  naturally  humane,  yet,  by  suffering 
his  ministers  and  infamous  favorites  to  tyrannize  over  his 
subjects  with  the  greatest  barbarity,  he  made  himself  a 
partner  in  their  wickedness.  Among  other  wretched  vic- 
tims during  his  reign  was  one,  whose  only  crime  had  been 
that  he  had,  unthinkingly,  spoken  some  disrespectful  words 
of  the  King,  for  which  he  was  imprisoned  forty-seven  years, 
between  four  thick,  cold,  stone  walls,  without  one  friend  to 
comfort  him,  or  a  hope  of  ever  being  set  at  liberty,  so  that 
death  would  have  been  a  blessing  to  him.  When,  however, 
Louis  XV.  died,  the  ministers  of  the  good  Louis  XVI., 
prompted  by  humanity  and  by  the  wishes  of  the  amiable 
young  King,  inspected  the  horrid  prison  of  the  Bastille,  and 
set  many  of  the  unfortunate  prisoners  at  liberty,  among 
whom  was  the  wretched  man  mentioned  above,  who  was 
now  grown  old,  and  had  almost  lost  the  use  of  his  limbs 
from  long  confinement ;  and  of  his  speech,  from  the  want  of 
having  any  one  to  talk  to :  his  hair  was  grown  white  from 
grief  as  well  as  age,  but  he  had  borne  the  horrors  of  his  im- 
prisonment with  an  invincible  and  manly  spirit.  One  day 
the  narrow  door  of  his  prison  opened,  not  by  halves,  as  usual, 
but  it  was  thrown  wide  open ;  and  an  unknown  voice  an- 
nounced his  liberty,  and  bade  him  depart.  Believing  this 
to  be  a  dream,  he  hesitated;  but  at  length  he  rose  up,  and 
walked  forth  with  trembling  steps,  amazed  at  the  space  he 
went  over ;  the  stairs  of  the  prison,  the  halls,  the  court, 
seemed  to  him  vast,  immense,  and  almost  without  bounds. 
He  stopped  from  time  to  time,  and  gazed  around  like  a  be- 
wildered traveller ;  his  eight  was  with  difficulty  reconciled 


KING    OP    PRANCE.  381 

though  Louis  XVI.  was  too  lenient  so  to  abuse 
his  power,  the  demolition  of  this  edifice  cannot 
be  regretted  by  the  humane.  Unfortunately, 

to  the  clear  light  of  day ;  he  looked  at  the  heavens  as  a  new 
object,  his  eyes  remained  fixed,  and  he  could  not  even  weep. 
Stupefied  with  the  new  power  of  changing  his  posture,  his 
limbs,  like  his  tongue,  refused  to  perform  their  office,  in  spite 
of  his  efforts ;  but  at  length  he  got  through  the  formidable 
gate.  When  he  felt  the  motion  of  the  carriage  which  was 
to  convey  him  to  his  former  habitation,  he  screamed  out, 
and  uttered  some  indistinct  sounds ;  and  as  he  could  not 
bear  this  motion,  he  was  obliged  to  get  out.  Supported 
by  a  kind  arm,  he  sought  out  the  street  where  he  had 
formerly  resided,  and  found  it,  but  no  trace  of  his  house 
remained ;  one  of  the  public  buildings  occupied  its  place  ; 
nor  could  he  discover  anything  that  he  had  before  been 
acquainted  with ;  the  houses  of  his  nearest  neighbors,  of 
which  the  recollection  was  fresh  in  his  memory,  had  been 
rebuilt,  or  so  altered  that  they  appeared  quite  strange  to 
him ;  and  it  was  in  vain  that  he  directed  his  looks  to  the 
various  objects  around  him,  for  he  could  perceive  nothing 
of  which  he  had  the  smallest  remembrance.  Terrified,  he 
stopped  and  sighed  deeply ;  to  him  it  was  of  no  consequence 
that  the  city  was  full  of  people,  none  of  them  were  known 
to  him,  and  he  was  unknown  to  the  whole  world ;  so  that, 
whilst  he  wept,  he  regretted  his  dungeOn.  At  the  name  of 
the  Bastille,  which  he  often  pronounced,  and  at  the  sight  of 
his  clothes,  which  marked  their  age,  the  crowd  gathered 
round  him,  and  expressed  their  curiosity  as  well  as  their 
pity ;  the  oldest  asked  him  many  questions,  but  not  one  re- 
membered the  circumstances  he  spoke  of.  At  length,  acci- 
dent brought  in  his  way  an  ancient  domestic,  now  an  old 
porter,  who,  confined  to  his  lodge  for  fifteen  years,  had 


382  LOUIS  xvi. 

however,  the  populace  of  any  country  seldom 
know  where  to  stop.  That  of  France  arrested 
not  its  headlong  career  until  all  rule  and  order 

barely  strength  to  open  the  gate ;  even  he  did  not  know  the 
master  he  had  once  served  ;  but  he  informed  him,  that  grief 
and  misfortune  had  brought  his  wife  to  the  grave  thirty 
years  before  ;  that  his  children  were  gone  to  distant  coun- 
tries, and  that  of  all  his  friends  and  relations  there  was  not 
one  now  remaining.  The  poor  miserable  man  groaned 
aloud,  and  felt  the  greatness  of  his  calamities  even  more 
than  he  would  have  done  in  the  dreadful  solitude  he  had 
just  left.  Overcome  with  sorrow,  he  presented  himself  to 
the  minister  to  whose  humanity  he  had  been  indebted  for  that 
liberty  which  was  now  a  burthen  to  him :  bowing  down,  he 
said,  "  Restore  me  again  to  that  prison  from  which  you 
have  taken  me  !  I  cannot  survive  the  loss  of  my  nearest  re- 
lations and  my  friends,  and,  in  one  word,  of  a  whole  gene- 
ration !  Is  it  possible  in  the  same  moment  to  be  informed 
of  this  universal  destruction,  and  not  to  wish  for  death  1 
This  general  mortality,  which  to  the  rest  of  mankind  comes 
slowly  and  by  degrees,  has  to  me  been  instantaneous. 
Whilst  I  was  shut  up,  I  lived  with  myself  only  :  but  here 
I  can  neither  live  with  myself,  nor  with  this  new  race,  to 
whom  my  grief  and  despair  appear  only  as  a  dream.  There 
is  nothing  terrible  in  dying ;  but  it  is  dreadful  indeed  to  be 
the  last."  The  minister  was  greatly  affected,  and  ordered 
the  old  domestic  to  attend  this  unfortunate  man,  as  he  alone 
could  talk  to  him  of  his  family.  This  was  the  only  conso- 
lation he  had  in  the  world ;  and  he  lived  in  the  midst  of 
Paris,  in  the  same  kind  of  solitude  as  he  had  done,  whilst 
confined  to  his  dungeon  for  almost  half  a  century ;  but  the 
grief  of  being  thus  alone  in  the  world  soon  put  an  end  to 
his  life,  and  with  it  to  his  misery  also. 


KING    OF    FRANCE.  383 

were  overthrown.  M.  Necker,  of  whom  you 
will  often  hear  as  a  celebrated  financier,*  made 
some  efforts  to  restore  tranquillity,  and  partially 
succeeded  :  but  the  nation  was  not  in  a  state  to 
be  easily  appeased.  M.  Necker  retired  from 
office,  and  matters  grew  worse. 

The  King  and  Queen,  when  too  late,  attempted 
to  flee  from  the  gathering  storm.  They  were 
overtaken  at  Varennes,  and  brought  back  to 
Paris.  Somewhat  more  than  a  year  after  this 
arrest,  all  order  and  laws  being  at  an  end,  the 
King  and  Queen,  with  their  son  and  daughter, 
and  the  Princess  Elizabeth,  sister  to  the  King, 
were  put  in  confinement,  in  a  building  called 
the  Tower  of  the  Temple  in  Paris.  The  King 
and  his  family  were  exposed  to  the  greatest  in- 
dignities whilst  they  were  in  this  prison ;  but 
their  affection  for  each  other  consoled  them  for 
everything  they  had  lost,  and  fortified  them 
against  everything  they  had  to  fear.  The  edu- 
cation of  the  little  Dauphin  was  their  principal 
care  ;  and,  for  the  sake  of  his  health,  they  went 
every  day  to  walk  in  the  garden  of  the  Temple, 
though  the  King  was  always  insulted  there  by 
the  people  who  guarded  him.  Louis  taught  his 
son  geography,  the  Queen  taught  him  history, 
and  the  Princess  Elizabeth  gave  him  lessons  in 
*  Financier,  a  manager  of  the  public  money. 


384  LOUIS  xvi. 

arithmetic.  Some  months  after  the  royal  family 
had  been  thus  imprisoned,  the  persecuted  mon- 
arch was  brought  to  trial,  and  condemned  to  be 
beheaded.  During  his  trial,  which  lasted  six 
ffeeks,  he  was  not  allowed  to  have  any  inter- 
course with  his  wife  and  children  ;  but  the  night 
before  the  sentence  of  death  was  to  be  executed, 
he  was  permitted  to  take  leave  of  them  ;  and  the 
scene  of  their  meeting  and  their  parting  forever 
was  affecting  and  tender  in  the  extreme.  The 
King  went  into  the  room  where  they  were  to 
join  him,  and  which  was  only  separated  by  a 
door  from  that  where  two  guards  were  constantly 
on  duty.  This  door  was  formed  of  panes  of  glass 
from  top  to  bottom,  like  a  window,  so  that  these 
two  men  could  see  all  that  passed.  The  Queen 
came  in  first,  leading  her  little  boy  by  the  hand, 
and  they  were  followed  by  the  two  princesses. 
They  all  threw  themselves  into  the  arms  of  the 
King,  and  a  mournful  silence  prevailed  for  some 
time,  which  was  only  interrupted  by  sighs  and 
sobs.  The  door  was  then  shut,  and  the  King  sat 
down,  with  the  Queen  on  one  side,  and  his  sister 
on  the  other  ;  his  daughter  sat  opposite,  and  the 
little  prince  stood  between  his  knees  :  all  leaned 
on  the  injured  sovereign,  and  often  clasped  him 
in  their  arms.  This  scene  of  sorrow  lasted  an 
hour  and  three  quarters,  during  which  Louis  told 


KING    OF    FRANCE.  385 

his  family  that  he  was  to  die  the  next  morning, 
and  it  could  be  seen  through  the  glass  door  that 
their  agitation  and  grief  were  dreadful.  At 
length,  the  King  rose  to  go :  and  they  all  fol- 
lowed, breaking  out  in  the  most  agonizing  lamen- 
tations. He  hade  them  farewell  in  so  impressive 
a  manner,  that  their  groans  were  renewed,  and 
his  daughter  fainted  at  his  feet.  Once  more,  he 
embraced  them  most  tenderly,  and  then  tore 
himself  from  their  arms  : — "  Farewell !  fare- 
well !"  said  he,  and  rushed  out  of  the  room  into 
his  own  chamber.  There  he  remained  some 
time  praying  with  his  confessor,  the  priest  who 
had  been  permitted  to  attend  him  ;  and  then  he 
went  to  bed,  where  he  soon  fell  into  a  sound 
sleep.  At  five  in  the  morning,  he  awoke,  and, 
as  soon  as  he  was  dressed,  his  confessor  again 
prayed  with  him  for  a  long  time,  and  adminis- 
tered the  sacrament  to  him.  The  King  then  came 
out  of  his  closet,  and  called  for  his  faithful  ser- 
vant, Clery,  who  had  attended  him  with  the 
most  dutiful  respect  during  his  imprisonment ; 
to  him  he  gave  a  ring,  a  seal,  and  a  small  packet, 
saying,  "  You  will  give  this  seal  to  my  son,  this 
ring  to  the  Queen,  and  assure  her  that  it  is  with 
pain  I  part  with  it :  this  little  packet,  which 
contains  the  hair  of  all  my  family,  you  will  give 
her  also.  Tell  her,  tell  my  dear  children,  and 
2a  33 


LOUIS    XVI. 


tell  my  beloved  sister,  that  though  I  promised 
to  see  them  again  this  morning,  yet  I  have  re- 
solved to  spare  them  the  pangs  of  so  cruel  a 
parting.  Tell  them  how  much  it  grieves  me  to 
go  without  receiving  their  embraces  once  more." 
He  wiped  away  some  tears,  and  then  added,  in 
the  most  mournful  accent ;  "  I  charge  you  to 
bear  them  my  last  adieu."  At  length  the  door 
opened,  and  the  guards  came  to  say  that  the 
hour  was  near  for  the  execution.  "  It  is  enough," 
said  the  King  ;  "  I  will  join  you  directly  ;  but  I 
wish  to  pass  a  few  moments  alone  with  my  con- 
fessor." They  retired  together,  and  the  King, 
falling  on  his  knees,  said :  "  All  is  over,  give  me 
your  last  blessing."  This  good  priest  was  the 
Abbe  Edgeworth,  whose  name  well  deserves  to 
be  remembered ;  he  would  not  desert  his  King 
in  his  last  moments,  though  his  own  life  was  in 
great  danger  from  attending  him,  as  the  people 
hated  all  the  friends  of  Louis,  and  treated  them 
with  the  greatest  cruelty.  The  King  then  threw 
open  the  door,  and  said  to  Santerre,  the  com- 
mander of  the  guards,  who  waited  for  him,  "Let 
us  go  !  I  am  ready  !"  He  walked  through  the 
court  of  the  Temple,  strongly  guarded,  and  found 
a  carriage  ready  for  him  ;  one  very  fierce-look- 
ing soldier  got  in  before  him,  and  he  and  the 
Abbe  followed,  when  another  soldier  got  in  also. 


KING    OF    FRANCE.  387 

As  they  passed,  the  streets  were  lined  with 
guards,  and  nothing  was  heard  but  the  beating 
of  drums.  As  the  carriage  went  very  slowly, 
the  King  asked  the  Abbe  for  a  prayer-book, 
and  his  majesty  continued  reading  in  it  till  they 
stopped  near  the  scaffold.  The  executioners 
opened  the  carriage-door ;  Louis  got  out,  and, 
having  thrown  off  his  coat,  was  going  to  ascend 
the  scaffold,  when  they  seized  his  hands,  to  tie 
them  behind  his  back.  As  he  was  not  prepared 
for  this  last  insult,  he  was  going  to  resist ; 
but  the  Abbe,  knowing  that  resistance  would 
be  vain,  and  only  expose  the  King  to  more  vio- 
lent outrages,  said  to  him,  "  Sire,  this  new 
humiliation  is  another  circumstance,  in  which 
your  majesty's  sufferings  resemble  those  of  that 
Saviour  who  will  soon  be  your  reward."  This 
observation  instantly  removed  the  King's  un- 
willingness, and  with  an  air  of  dignified  resigna- 
tion, he  presented  his  hands  to  the  wretches ; 
and  as  they  were  tying  the  cords  with  all  their 
force,  the  King,  addressing  them  mildly,  said, 
"  There  is  no  need  to  pull  so  tight."  While  he 
was  mounting  the  scaffold,  the  pious  Abbe  who 
supported  him,  exclaimed :  "  Offspring  of  St. 
Louis,  ascend  to  heaven  !"  When  the  King  came 
to  the  scaffold,  advancing  with  a  firm  step  to  the 
part  which  faced  his  palace,  he  desired  the  drums 


388  LOUIS  xvi. 

to  cease  beating,  and  was  instantly  obeyed,  not- 
withstanding the  orders  they  had  received  to  the 
contrary.  He  then  said,  loud  enough  to  be  heard 
in  the  gardens  of  the  palace  ;  "  I  die  innocent  of 
all  the  crimes  I  have  been  charged  with.  I  for- 
give my  enemies — I  implore  God,  from  the  bot- 
tom of  my  heart,  to  pardon  them,  and  not  to  take 
vengeance  on  the  French  nation  for  the  blood 
about  to  be  shed."  He  was  going  on,  when 
Santerre  pushed  furiously  toward  the  drum- 
mers, and  ordered  them  to  beat  without  inter- 
ruption. The  executioners  at  the  same  time  laid 
hold  of  their  royal  victim.  As  soon  as  the  head 
was  severed  from  the  body,  a  young  wretch,  who 
assisted  on  this  dreadful  occasion,  seizing  it  by 
the  hair,  danced  round  the  scaffold,  holding  it  up 
to  the  people,  and  crying  out  repeatedly,  "  Long 
live  the  Nation !" 

After  the  death  of  Louis,  his  family  were  eve- 
ry day  more  cruelly  treated ;  and  the  young 
Dauphin  was  ordered  to  be  taken  from  his  mother 
and  the  princesses.  As  soon  as  the  little  prince 
heard  this  order,  he  threw  himself  into  the  arms 
of  the  Queen,  and  entreated  with  violent  cries, 
not  to  be  parted  from  her.  The  poor  Queen  ex- 
claimed, that  "they  had  better  kill  her  than 
tear  her  child  from  her."  An  hour  was  passed 
in  her  resistance,  amid  the  threats  and  insults 


KING    OF    FRANCE.  389 

of  the  officers,  and  the  prayers  and  tears  of  the 
two  princesses.  At  last  they  threatened  to  kill 
the  boy,  and  the  Queen  was  obliged  to  give  him 
up.  The  two  princesses  dressed  him,  for  his 
mother  had  not  strength ;  but,  when  he  was 
ready,  she  took  him,  and  gave  him  into  the  hands 
of  the  officers,  bathing  him  with  her  tears,  fore- 
seeing that  she  should  never  behold  him  again. 
The  only  consolation  the  Queen  now  enjoyed, 
was  seeing  her  child  through  a  chink,  as  he 
passed  from  his  room  to  the  tower,  and  at  this 
chink  she  used  to  watch  for  hours  together, 
The  cruelty  with  which  this  poor  child  was 
treated,  cannot  be  described.  He  was  committed 
to  the  care  of  a  man,  of  the  name  of  Simon,  a 
shoemaker,  and  at  that  time  one  of  the  officers  : 
to  this  inhuman  wretch,  the  boy's  crying  at  be- 
ing separated  from  his  family  appeared  a  great 
crime  :  and  he  soon  terrified  him  so  much,  that 
the  prince  did  not  dare  to  weep.  The  cruel 
treatment  he  received,  affected  his  mind  as  well 
as  his  body,  and  he  died  a  victim  to  the  inhu- 
manity of  those  around  him.  The  poor  Queen 
and  the  princess  ELIZABETH,  a  most  amiable 
and  pious  woman,  were  taken  from  the  Temple 
one  after  the  other,  and  put  into  a  common  pri- 
son, whence  they  were  subsequently  conveyed 
to  the  scaffold,  and  beheaded.  The  princess 


390  LOUIS  xvi. 

royal  remained  six  months  in  the  Temple,  after 
the  death  of  all  her  family,  exposed  alone  to  the 
insults  of  her  enemies  ;  but  she  was  released,  at 
the  age  of  seventeen,  and  a  few  years  afterward 
married  to  her  cousin,  the  Duke  of  Angouleme. 

After  Louis  was  deposed,  all  titles  of  honor 
were  abolished,  and  "  Citizen"  was  the  address 
to  all  classes  of  persons.  Religion  was  entirely 
overthrown  ;  and  such  of  the  clergy  and  nobles 
as  escaped  death,  fled  for  safety  from  their  na- 
tive land ;  many  of  these  unhappy  emigrants 
found  refuge  in  England.  Robespierre  made 
himself  chief  of  the  National  Convention,  and 
his  reign  was  a  time  of  bloodshed  and  iniquity 
too  horrible  for  description  ;  at  last  he  fell  from 
his  height,  and  was  executed  by  the  very  guillo- 
tine* to  which  he  had  sentenced  thousands  of 
his  fellow-creatures.  Another  of  this  party, 
Marat,  was  stabbed  by  Charlotte  Corday,  who 
imbrued  her  hands  in  blood,  to  rid  the  world  of 
a  monster. 

But  I  cannot  pursue  the  horrid  detail  of  trans- 
actions in  France  during  this  hideous  revolution ; 
a  hundred  accounts  have  been  written  of  it,  any 
one  of  which  will  suffice  to  impress  the  terrific 
narrative  on  your  minds.  The  powerful  inter- 

*  I  leave  this  hideous  machine,  and  the  fate  of  its  invent- 
or, to  be  verbally  described. 


NAPOLEON    BUONAPARTE.  391 

est  it  raises,  insures  its  indelible  impression ; 
and,  I  dare  say,  you  will  suffer  too  much  in  the 
perusal  to  desire  a  repetition  of  such  reading. 

But  the  French  soon  found  that,  in  their  mad 
fury,  they  had  sacrificed  a  gracious  and  legiti- 
mate monarch,  to  make  room  for  a  stern  and 
low-born  usurper.  Napoleon  Buonaparte,  a 
Corsican,  raised  himself  from  the  rank  of  ensign 
in  the  army  to  the  throne  of  France.  He  was, 
unquestionably,  a  man  of  uncommon  powers  of 
mind ;  you  will  think  so  when  you  have  read 
his  history.  But,  vast  as  was  his  genius,  his 
ambition  was  still  more  extensive.  At  one 
time,  he  might  have  been  confirmed  in  his  title 
of  "  Emperor  of  the  French  ;"  but,  in  desiring 
to  grasp  more,  he  lost  all.  The  states  of  Eu- 
rope combined  against  a  man,  whom  no  conces- 
sions would  satisfy.  The  battle  of  Waterloo 
finally  decided  the  fate  of  the  usurper.  Buona- 
parte fled  from  Paris,  surrendered  himself  to 
Britain,  and  was  sent  to  the  Island  of  St.  He- 
lena, where  he  resided  till  his  death  on  the  5th 
of  May,  1821.  Whilst  emperor,  he  divorced 
his  wife  Josephine,  that  he  might  marry  one  of 
the  daughters  of  the  Emperor  of  Austria;  and 
by  that  princess  he  left  a  son,  who  died  in 
1833. 

On  the  downfall  of  Napoleon,  the  brother  of 


392  CONCLUSION. 

the  unfortunate  Louis  XVI.  who  had  lived  in 
England  during  the  season  of  French  turbu- 
lence, hastened  to  Paris,  and  was  proclaimed 
king  by  the  title  of  Louis  XVIII.  Charles  X., 
another  brother,  succeeded  Louis  XVIII.  in 
1825.  In  1830,  an  attempt  to  carry  certain 
arbitrary  measures  into  execution,  produced  an 
insurrection  of  the  people  of  Paris  ;  when  the 
King,  his  son  the  Duke  of  Angouleme,  and  the 
Duchess,  the  daughter  of  Louis  XVI.,  were  once 
more  driven  into  exile,  and  the  crown  of  France 
was  transferred  to  Louis  Philippe,  Duke  of 
Orleans. 


CHAPTER  LXXII. 

CONCLUSION. 

I  CANNOT  refrain  from  subjoining  the  names 
of  some  of  the  many  celebrated  persons  who 
died  after  the  accession  of  George  III.  They 
will  make  themselves  hereafter  better  known  to 
you  by  their  works,  and  I  think  you  will  feel 
high  satisfaction  in  seeing  how  rich  a  store  of 
amusement  and  instruction  lies  before  you,  in 
the  numerous  publications  of  so  many  illustri- 
ous writers. 


CONCLUSION.  393 

1761.  Samuel  Richardson,  novel  writer. 
1765.  Dr.  Edward  Young,  poet. 
1768.  Rev.  Lawrence  Sterne,  satirist. 

1770.  Dr.  Mark  Akenside,  poet. 

Dr.  Tobias  Smollet,  historian,  &c. 

1771.  Thomas  Gray,  poet. 
1774.  Oliver  Goldsmith,  poet. 

1776.  David  Hume,  historian. 

1777.  Samuel  Foote,  comedian. 

1778.  Voltaire,  historian,  &c. 

Linneus,  the  great  naturalist. 

Rousseau,  novelist,  &c. 

1779.  David  Garrick,  the  great  actor. 

1780.  Sir  William  Blackstone. 
1782.  Metastasio,  the  Italian  poet. 

1784.  Dr.  Samuel  Johnson,  lexicographer,  &c. 
1787.  Count  de  Buffon,  naturalist. 

1790.  Dr.  Benjamin  Franklin,  philosopher. 

John  Howard,  the  philanthropist. 

1791.  Mrs.  Catherine  Macauley,  historian. 

1793.  Dr.  W.  Robertson,  historian. 

1794.  Edward  Gibbon,  historian  of  Rome. 
1796.  Robert  Burns,  poet. 

1800.  William  Cowper,  poet. 

You  cannot  peruse  the  slight  sketch  of  his  • 
tory  here  given,  Avithout  remarking  with  sur- 
prise the  high  rank  which  England  has  borne, 


394  CONCLUSION. 

and  now  bears,  in  the  civilized  world.  How 
small  appears  that  little  island  by  the  side  of 
so  many  extensive  empires  !  Yet  how  vast  is 
her  influence !  Respected  and  feared  by  the 
states  of  Europe  ; — possessing  considerable  ter- 
ritories in  Asia,  Africa,  and  America,  there  is 
no  part  of  the  globe  but  does  honor  to  her  fame, 
or  pays  homage  to  her  authority. 

How  has  this  little  island  acquired  this 
eminence?  'By  the  talents  and  virtues  of  her 
inhabitants.  The  same  means  that  obtained 
distinction  for  her,  have  in  an  astonishingly 
short  period  of  time  exalted  our  country  to  an 
equal  rank  among  the  nations  of  the  world,  and 
they  only  can  insure  a  continuance  of  prosperity 
and  glory.  The  inhabitants  must  continue  to 
excel  in  wisdom  and  in  virtue.  Every  individ- 
ual who  constitutes  a  portion  of  this  favored 
population  can  help  to  uphold  the  dignity  of 
their  country.  Let  this  truth  be  deeply  impress- 
ed on  each  youthful  heart ;  let  love  of  country 
add  energy  to  every  other  claim  on  exertion ; 
be  grateful  that  you  are  Americans ;  be  ear- 
nest to  do  honor  to  that  title. 


THE    END. 


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